Curiosities
by PreciousRoy
Summary: The circus is a magical place. Acts that dazzle and astound young and old alike. But what more astounding than those with abilities that aren't a slight of the hand? From controlling and wielding fire to a telepathic bond with a tiger, step in to a world of curiosities and their stories behind the big top that aren't always full of crowd-pleasing smiles. (Circus AU) (KaixRay)
1. Just Like Every Other Night

Hello lovely people!

Realllly shouldn't be doing this...at all. Not with 3 other stories going.

But I've had this story in my head for months and wrote out this intro chapter a while ago. I've been itching to post it to see if anyone is interested in it!

Since today I turn...somewhere over 20, I decided to treat myself and post it, despite knowing damn well I probably shouldn't!

It's a circus AU, as you probably guessed from the summary. It will eventually be a Kai/Ray. Which you'll also have seen in the summary. But just in case, that means this is a yaoi. I've rated it T for now, but it may change to M in the future as there may be some mature content.

It's set in Russia somewhere in the 1900s. (Haven't got an exact date as yet. Sure you won't mind. Just for your info.)

Without further ado, here is the introductory chapter! I'd love to know if you like it and would like to read more!

* * *

Curiosities

Chapter 1 – Just Like Every Other Night

Just like every other night, the applause was deafening to the point where it almost caused shell-shock.

Blinded by the spotlight, he fought to keep his eyes from squinting as he looked around to thank the crowd he could barely see.

He bowed theatrically, the part he hated the most. Not only did he feel ridiculous, even after all this time, but it just made the ear-splitting applause louder.

He painted on his smile as he came back up, turning to make a swift exit to his dressing room only to be met with stern, lilac eyes behind the heavy, yellow and red striped curtain, just out of sight from the audience.

Now he had to fight a sigh.

He turned back to the audience, once again plastering on a crowd-pleasing smile as he held his pale hand out in the direction of the small, dying out pile of coal he'd used earlier in his act. The embers barely visible.

The applause ceased in an instant and the air seemed to vanish as the crowd held their breaths in anticipation.

As the silence fell, the embers began to reignite.

He could have this over in a split second, but as Boris had said, drag it out, make a show of it.

The black coal began to glitter orange and red.

He slowly lifted his hand higher.

As he did, the more alive the coals became.

By the time he his arm had raised over his head, the small pile of coal had turned in to roaring flames, shooting up ten feet tall in the air.

The audience breathed again.

His other arm came up to meet the other, causing the fire to blaze even stronger, even more vibrant oranges, reds and blues, earning him some gasps.

Now the finale.

His arms swooped out dramatically, like a bird of prey spreading its wings. The tall wall of fire split, seemingly obeying, splitting off in opposite directions, becoming a wall of vibrant, majestic flames, rapidly encircling the whole arena.

As the delighted voices of wonder expelled from the crowd, he was now free to make his way towards the curtain.

Walking up the few steps to his exit, he turned to the audience for the last time, raising his arm slowly to get their attention.

With the snap of his fingers, the magnificent flames burst brightly before vanishing to nothing, leaving only a circle of smoke behind.

He turned his back as the cheers and applause came back with a force, desperate to get out of sight.

He felt the smirk and the lilac eyes piercing him as he passed.

"Nicely done, Kai...that new finale seems to be going down well." his deep voice praised.

He ignored him and kept walking. He needed quiet. Needed to get out of the stupid costume he insisted on him wearing.

His silence earned him a deep chuckle from the lilac-eyed man.

He threw the door open to the dressing room, shooting a glare at the two male acrobats he shared it with. They took the hint and promptly left, wordlessly, as they did most nights.

He held his hard stare as he watched them leave before slamming the door shut, stomping over to his chair in front of the lighted, dirty mirror and glaring in to that too, with crimson eyes that burned like the fire he used to dazzle the crowds every night.

His face was caked in make-up. Ivory powder now clumping from sweating. Two red triangles painted on each cheek, starting to run a little, also because of sweat.

A black...body suit of sorts covered his body. Too tight for his liking.

He loathed it. Made him feel naked and exposed. More so than he already did.

He grabbed the damp cloth that lay ready for him and started to roughly scrub his face.

Eight years...

Eight years he'd been doing this.

It still felt like bad dream. Like how Alice probably felt when she fell down the rabbit hole.

He asked himself the same question he asked himself every night.

How the hell did his life end up like this?

* * *

Boris Balkov glided in to the arena from behind the curtain, the spotlight following him as he grinned gleefully with his arms raised, soaking in the applause, the light making the gold buttons on his vibrant red tailcoat glint. His presence, as always, seeming to fill the entire arena.

Once it finally died down, he brought his hands down.

"Are you enjoying the show!?" his voice echoed charismatically, causing another eruption of joyed cheers and claps.

He forced a delighted laugh as he tipped his black top hat.

"Are you ready for more!?"

He laughed more as the volume almost took the roof off the tent.

"Then, ladies and gentlemen...boys and girls...without further ado, I give you..." He paused dramatically as the spotlight dimmed, making the patrons lean in from the edge of their seats, "a truly wondrous gem from the Orient..." he said in a lower voice, "an incredible, exotic display of mystical arts from the East...I give you, _Ray_!"

The lights went out, giving him a chance to run off stage, passing the next star as he did so.

Stage hands went to work, rolling apparatus on to the circular arena swiftly and quietly as the crowd waited patiently.

The lights slowly woke up, gently illuminating the silhouette in the arena to reveal a tall, masculine physique. His upper body bare while white, loose pants clung to his waist.

As he became completely visible, it was clear his eyes were closed.

The young man slowly brought his arms in front of his chest, placing a fist against his other palm before bowing, letting his incredibly long, raven hair fall slip and drape over one of his tanned shoulders.

As he came up, he opened his eyes to reveal glinting amber irises, the like of which the front row guests had never seen.

Turning his head, he gestured to the long, thin pole that almost reached the top of the tent.

Smiling at the audience, he turned his body and approached it, taking hold of it with one of his hands as he walked gracefully around it while bringing his other hand to it.

He jumped slightly, pressing the bottoms of his feet to the sides of the unsturdy pole that already wobbled slightly as he began to shift his feet and walk up it with ease.

He stopped a few feet up, swinging his legs around to cross around the thin pole and laying back, releasing his hands and letting them fall back. His thighs the only thing holding him up as his body spun slowly while his arms dangled in the air.

After coming full circle, he came back up, climbing ever higher before gripping the pole and pushing his entire body out. Legs hovering high above the ground, this time only supported by strong hands holding on tightly to the pole.

His feet moved, looking as if he was walking on air, moving himself around the pole as the audience looked up with a growing sense of dread.

One slip was all it would take, he had no safety rope.

He climbed higher, stopping every now and then to dangerously pose on the pole that wobbled and swayed harder the higher his got.

As he neared the top, he hooked his legs around once again and flung his body back, upside down as his arms dangled.

He released enough grip from his thighs to slip down just far enough to get a gasp and a shriek from the audience before tightening it and stopping, perfectly safe.

He gave them a cheeky, upside down grin before coming back up and making his way to the very top.

As he reached the top, he swung his body hard, powerfully kicking his legs away from the pole, flipping himself and landing, balancing on the tip of the pole by the tip of his toes, earning him alarmed cries from the crowd.

He waved to them as he balanced with ease, smiling broadly as he went a step further, bringing one leg up and bending his knee, placing his foot flatly against his thigh as he balanced high above the ground on the one foot.

The crowd erupted in impressed and thrilled applause.

Rei waited...counting down from five in his head.

Almost on cue, a fierce roar boomed through the arena, and the applause evaporated in to stunned silence.

The audience's eyes lowered down the pole and felt their hearts race as a large, snarling white tiger came out the darkness in to the now fully lit arena, it's sharp shoulders rolling as it's powerful paws padded the ground, leaving large paw-prints in the sand.

Rei looked down and smirked. He never grew tired of their reaction to him.

And now was the really fun part.

The tiger circled the pole, looking upwards at the seemingly easy prey balancing at the top.

It leaned back on it's hind legs and pushed it's large front paws against the pole, letting out a ferocious roar in the process.

As the pole swayed dangerously, the audience recoiled at the young man on the top flailing and wobbling before...

_Dropping._

As if time slowed, they held their breaths to watch him fall, clambering to take hold of the pole as he fell.

He managed, gripping on for 'dear life' a few feet from the top.

The thin pole bent, lowering him down ever closer to the beast below.

The large cat lowered itself to the ground, it's tail flicking in agitation as it prepared itself to strike, leaping in to the air and swiping to try and get at it's target.

The boy lifting his knees up, narrowly missing being clawed.

The pole swayed too side to side, flinging the boy around like a ragdoll while the tiger angrily stalked below.

He kicked his legs, spinning his body round the pole, descending ever lower like a cork screw.

He flung up legs around the pole to stop, the pole still dancing as the tiger let out another piercing roar, swiping at the pole to make it shake roughly.

Rei's hands 'slipped', like before, his upper body falling back, dangling as his legs held him to the pole.

The tiger pawed furiously at the pole, sending visible vibrations up it, weakening the hold of his prey's legs.

The boy's body slid rapidly, plummeting down to what seemed like a grizzly end.

Gasps and cries came from the audience as he reached the ground, throwing himself on to the sand and rolling out the way of another powerful swipe from the beast that stood dangerously close to him.

He pulled himself up, sand stuck to his skin as his knees bent and his body tensed, staring down the wild cat as it stalked up to him growling.

The cat lowered to the ground, it's hips shaking before breaking in to a bounding run.

Children yelped in fright, huddling in to their mothers at what seemed like certain doom for him.

Rei's body straightened, bracing himself.

The tiger leapt, standing itself tall, it's front legs outstretched, slamming down on his shoulders before...

The crowd's eyes bugged out their heads.

...The enormous, ferocious cat began licking his face and nuzzling him as he wrapped his own arms around him, rubbing his fur.

A wave of relieved laughter broke the tension in the tent.

At the very back, near the exit, teal eyes rolled.

He'd arranged his break to coincide with Kai's performance. His new acts were always worth a watch.

Rei, on the other hand, could use a little more imagination. He thought anyway.

Always the same warm up...Dangerous cat looking like he'd maul him to death only to reveal he was basically a big pussy cat before doing tricks.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey Brooklyn, boss said to tell you break time is over." a harsh voice whispered.

He glanced over his shoulder, clocking the stage hand his uncle had sent to scold him.

"Yeh, yeh...I'm just going."

The older man nodded, bored of having to do this all the time and skulked back to his actual job.

The boy shoved his hands in to the pockets of his long, white coat and strolled back to his tent outside the big top.

It was quiet outside, as it usually was when the main show was going on. Only ever a few patrons wandering around, avoiding the crowds during acts they didn't care for.

He pushed back the beads of his station. A small, black and silver tent. Surprisingly spacious on the inside.

The smell of stale incense hit his nose as he walked in to his dark tent. The place adorned in silver moons and stars, plush cushions scattered around in deep blues, backs and purples.

He wished his uncle didn't insist on such cliché décor. This couldn't be more stereotypical 'mystic fortune teller' if he tried.

He tried to tell him the crystal ball was a little too much, but the boss insisted...

Luckily he didn't come in to his tent much. It stayed in the corner under a decorative throw.

As he got to the middle of the room, he lit the oil lamps, bringing light back to the still dark room from all the dark colors.

He heard the beads rustle.

"Excuse me, are you open?" a male voice asked.

He turned, taking in the young, blonde man's head poking in as his date for the evening waited beside him excitedly.

He forced a smile.

"Yes, come on in..."

The couple walked in slowly, oohing and ahhing at the mystical feel before taking in the young man who was going to tell them what their future held.

Orange hair sat on top of a pale face with striking teal eyes. A gold earring in his left ear.

He slumped himself down on a large cushion in front of a low table and gestured for them to sit opposite him.

They did so, gawking at him as they did.

"So...you want to know where your love will take you?" he asked with a smirk, cringing on the inside.

He had at least ten of these plebs a night.

They nodded furiously, her eyes beaming.

He held out his hands and waited for them to take the hint and take hold of them.

They hesitantly took a hand each.

As soon as their skin touched his, flashes of images played in his head, like a distorted dream that was crystal clear at the same time.

He fought a smirk.

Weeks from now, she would come home to find undergarments that didn't belong to her in his bedroom.

She would leave, he would pursue the other woman, only to find she too had moved on.

Poor sap...

He sucked in air through his teeth.

"Oh my..." he said in a tone neither of them liked.

"...What is it?" the young, blonde woman asked slowly, worry plaguing her eyes.

He lifted a brow and looked to the man.

"You are a busy boy, aren't you?"

The man suddenly looked uneasy.

"Well, you know how it is, got to work hard..."

Brooklyn smirked.

"Seems like you play hard, too..."

The woman frowned, glancing between them.

"What's he talking about?" she asked.

Before the man could scramble for a story, Brooklyn jumped at the chance to tell her.

"Sorry, ma'am. ..." he said as he looked her up and down, "I already know you won't listen, but I always tell what I see. A beautiful woman like you can do much better. And will. This won't last more than a month...but don't worry, you're dodging a bullet."

They both stared back at him with stunned annoyance.

"...How dare you!" the man interjected after a few moments of silence, "Who do you think you are messing with people's lives like this?!"

His smirk grew.

"You came, you asked, I told...do you want me to tell her exactly how this all ends?" he asked with a threatening look.

The man went quiet for a moment before getting angry.

"Tell her what you want! As if we'll believe some hack like you...kid!"

A smooth chuckle passed his throat.

"A hack?"

"You heard me..."

He nodded.

"All right. Fine. Don't believe me. Doesn't really matter, you're going to be found out...gesundheit."

The man frowned, taken off guard by the last word.

Seconds later, a passer by outside the tent sneezed loudly.

"I was talking to him..." Brooklyn explained as he nodded towards the source of the sneeze.

The man paled.

The woman snapped her head between the two of them, not which one she was upset or angry with.

"...Why is he saying these things?" she asked him in irritation.

He tensed.

"How should I know?! Probably just likes riling people up out of boredom!"

Her eyes narrowed.

"...I had a feeling you were hiding something from me..." she growled out as she swiped to grab her purse and shuffled awkwardly to get up, red in the face.

Brooklyn couldn't help but enjoy the look of panic in his eyes.

"Sweety, don't listen to him! He's a fraud! This was supposed to be a little fun!" he pleaded before his own body kicked in to go after her.

Brooklyn folded his arms in satisfaction as he watched her storm through the beads out the tent, watching him flail after her, but not before he looked back at him with a murderous look.

He waved back.

He got paid either way...

As they left, he straightened his white coat and ran his fingers through his hair.

When they touched him, he saw the answer to their question, but also the immediate future.

Which was handy, it meant he knew that guy would sneeze. A nice little touch to make that two-timer sweat a little.

But he also knew a guest was coming to pay him a visit...

The beads got pulled back, followed by a pale face and vivid ruby eyes poking through them.

"Another satisfied customer, huh?" his deep voice joked.

The other smiled.

"Always...come on in."

The beads clacked as he walked through them, letting himself in and going to his usual spot on the comfy, night blue cushion and making himself comfortable.

Brooklyn watched him, taking in his loose, white buttoned up shirt, grey pants and suspenders...and clear face.

"Didn't take you long to get out your beautiful costume..." he jabbed, knowing full well how much he hated having to dress up for his acts.

"Hn...surprised I haven't burned it yet..." he replied.

"You know they'd just make you an even more flamboyant one..." Brooklyn countered, "one with sparkles...sequins...maybe even some feathers for good measure."

Kai shuddered.

"Don't..."

He chuckled again.

"Sorry...you were great tonight, by the way. Like the changes you made."

He got an eye roll in response.

"I didn't come here for flattery about my 'amazing' performance..."

"Oh yeh?" Brooklyn smiled back, "then to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kai lifted a brow.

"You mean you don't know? What kind of fortune teller are you?" he joked.

Brooklyn held out his hand.

"Lost my tarot cards...stuck with the old touch method..."

Kai smirked as he pointed his index finger and prodded the palm of his hand.

Brooklyn's eyes hazed over for a moment before narrowing them at him.

"That's all you wanted? I'm offended...and I'm still working!"

Kai's brow lifted higher along with his smirk.

Brooklyn sighed.

"Fine...in the box over there...you know where the glasses are, may as well get me one too."

Kai's eyes glittered as he rolled himself back up, able to get what he sorely craved.

He shuffled along on his knees to the small, wooden box and brought it to the table, before actually making himself get up on his feet and go to the chest he kept in the corner of the tent, creaking it open and pulling out two small glasses and a bottle of vodka.

He settled himself back down his favorite cushion and unscrewed the cap, lazily pouring the clear liquid in to the glasses. He slid one to his companion before opening the wooden box and looking hungrily at the rolling tobacco it contained.

Brooklyn watched, amused as he pulled out a paper and sprinkled some of the brown tobacco on to it, rolling it between his fingers skilfully before licking the edge and admiring his work.

"You're getting good at that..." he mused.

Kai nodded, holding it out for him to take before getting to work on his own.

"You better not let my uncle find out I'm giving this to you..." he warned, like he did every time he came for some treats. He was old enough. Kai, on the other hand, still had a few years to go.

"I won't..." he said in a bored tone as he finished his own off and placed it between his lips.

He reached in to the box for the box of matches, pushing it open and taking one out.

Brooklyn held his hand up.

"Ah, ah, ah! Hold on now...I didn't get paid for my fortune telling services..."

Kai sighed.

"I didn't even ask for it!"

"You took it...you know the deal..."

He huffed again as he put the match back in it's box and set it back down.

How he wasn't bored with this by now, he'd never know.

"Fine...put it in your mouth."

Brooklyn grinned before placing his cigarette in his mouth as instructed and waited.

He watched as his pale hand reached out and brushed over the flame of the candle on his table. As it passed, he turned his hand upwards, the tip of his middle finger carrying a small flame.

He moved his hand over in front of Brooklyn, ignoring the grin and focussing on the tiny flame.

It started to levitate, rising until it was level with his face before floating gently towards the cigarette, lighting the tip of it. As soon as the paper held a sufficient orange glow, the flame floated back towards him, lighting his own.

Rubbing the tips of his thumb and middle finger together, the flame went out.

Brooklyn brought his fingers to his cigarette, inhaling and taking it away to let himself blow out a plume of smoke.

"Very nice..." he said with the same grin.

Kai half nodded as he did the same.

"And no..." Brooklyn added suddenly, "you're not escaping any time soon."

Kai's hand paused on it's way back to his lips, raising his eyes to him.

"...You couldn't have just lied to me?" he bit.

Brooklyn shrugged.

"You know I don't sugar coat things. Just say what I see. And besides, isn't it about time you just accepted it? You might not be so miserable if you do..."

Kai smirked at him as he reached for his glass, bringing it up and tossing it back. The alcohol burning enough to make him clear his throat.

"What? Because it worked so well for you?" he asked sarcastically, his voice strained from trying not to splutter.

The other shrugged.

"Not like I have any other family...have to do what I can to keep the legacy going..."

Kai tensed.

If things hadn't have worked out the way they did, he would have been in a similar position.

But now, he was just a dancing monkey with nothing to his name but his 'act'.

The beads rustling startled him out his thoughts as he snapped his head round.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were doing a reading..." a middle-aged man said in the entrance way, a small girl holding his hand to his left, clutching a toy horse with her other hand.

The two of them immediately stubbed out their cigarettes.

Back to work...

"No, not at all! He was just leaving." Brooklyn said reluctantly with a forced smile.

People sure knew when to come in...

The little girl's eyes lit up.

Kai slapped his legs and hoisted himself up.

What a waste of a cigarette...but at least he got a shot.

He lifted his eyes to see the man giving him a look like he recognised him.

"Hey..." he said as he squinted his eyes more and waved his finger at him, "aren't you the kid who did the fire thing?!"

He sighed inwardly.

"Yes, sir. That's me..." he replied dully.

The man's eyes lit up as much as his daughters.

"You. Were. _Incredible_!" he exclaimed, "I have to know, how on Earth do you do that?!"

His forced smile remained. He was a pro at that too now.

"A performer never reveals his secrets, sir." he answered diplomatically.

The little girl bounced.

"Will you do one more mister?!" she asked.

He smirked.

Mister? He wasn't even sixteen yet...guess she was still pretty young.

"...Sorry kid...I don't do private shows."

Her face fell, eyes dulling in disappointment.

Brooklyn raised a brow at him as he folded his arms.

Kai tried to ignore the look the child was giving him as he walked by them to leave.

As his hands brushed the beads aside, he stopped, kicking himself.

He turned himself and held his hand in the direction of the candle. The colors burning brighter as they came off the wick and floated towards her.

Careful to keep a good distance not to burn her, the flame morphed in to the shape of a horse before her very eyes, her jaw dropping as she clutched her toy harder.

The horse bounded around in a circle in front of her, stopping and rearing on it's back legs before turning to smoke, keeping it's shape for just a moment before disbanding to nothing but a wisp.

He quickly turned and walked out of the black and silver tent before any more requests came, leaving the girl and her father awe struck.

Brooklyn did his best not to chuckle.

He could complain all he wanted, but deep down he knew there was part of him that enjoyed the reaction.

"So..." he broke the silence, gesturing for them to sit, "What is it you want to know?"

Kai strolled his way around the large yellow and red tent, keeping his head down to avoid being bothered by any other patrons as he made his way to the back. His 'home'.

Behind the big top, a fenced off area featuring rows and rows of yet more less glamorous tents and trailers filled the large field.

Small bonfires had been set up by the stage hands, performers and other crew for a place to relax and unwind during breaks and after a job well done.

While their 'family' did contain some cliques, they all tended to mingle well. Like any other family, disagreements and fall outs happened, but in general, it was peaceful.

Not that he cared much. There weren't many he bothered with. Keeping himself to himself wherever possible. But every now and then, it was useful to be on good terms with certain people in case you needed something.

His legs guided him towards his tent, wanting nothing more than to flop down on the thin bed.

"Hey, Kai!"

His legs stopped, turning reluctantly.

From one of the bonfires close to him, long black hair swung as it ran towards him. No longer bare chested, but covered with a red shirt and black pants.

"Hey!" he repeated as he stopped in front of him, the darkness not being enough to stop his amber eyes from beaming, "great show tonight!"

Kai nodded a thanks.

Waiting for a verbal reply, but not getting one, he shifted on his spot.

"I really like the thing you did with the coal!" he added, hoping to get a conversation or...something.

"Thanks..."

Ray frowned. "What's up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just want to call it a night."

"But we didn't even eat yet! I heard Marta is making stew tonight!" he said enthusiastically, already feeling his mouth start to water.

Climbing up poles and jumping around with an enormous tiger sure did work up an appetite after all.

"I'll pass." he answered bluntly as his felt the muscles in his legs twitch, wanting to get back to his tent.

Ray smirked.

"Well...heads up...the tent isn't exactly empty.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

He and Ray shared a tent.

For the most part, it was just the two of them. But every now and then...

"If that damn fur ball claws up my bed again..." he growled in warning.

Ray rolled his eyes.

"How many times? He has a name, use it...and come on! That was when he was still young! Will you ever let that go?"

No. He wouldn't.

He never did like that tiger. Ever since he first came in to contact with him years ago.

His silence only answered his question, making him sigh.

"Well, too bad! He's in with us tonight."

"And why is that?" Kai asked bluntly.

Ray tilted his head.

"The elephant keeps him up. It's just a few days til they move her and give him his space back. Plus have you seen how much room she takes up? What he's been left with, well, there's not enough room to...swing a cat." he said with a chuckle, enjoying his own pun.

It was Kai's turn to roll his eyes.

"Fine. A few days. That's it."

"Yes, sir." Ray smirked back,a long pause setting in.

"So...did you see our new act?" he asked, wanting to break it.

He tensed. He'd caught the first part, but then spotted Brooklyn hanging out at the back and figured he could bum a smoke.

"Some of it..." he admitted quietly.

Ray's face changed.

"Only some?" he asked in a voice that was laced with both annoyance and disappointment.

Kai shrugged. Here we go again...

"I'll watch tomorrow night." he told him bluntly, not in the mood for one of Ray's sulks.

Ray's shoulders dropped as he huffed.

"What the hell? I always watch your first show when you make changes!"

Kai rolled his eyes.

"And I always watch your second..." he said before giving him a smirk, "let you work out the flaws..."

Ray's eye twitched. He could be a real arrogant ass sometimes.

"I'll have you know that tonight was flawless! Blew them away! Unlike you, _fire boy_!"

Kai smirked harder. He loved to rile him up.

Unlike him, Ray was very proud of his act. He worked his butt off to make it as perfect as possible.

He rubbed his ear.

"What was that? Can't hear you...was deafened by the audience during mine, see."

"Oh..._shut up_!"

Kai couldn't hold in his chuckle any more.

"Ray...I'll watch you and your oversized cat tomorrow. I promise." he told him in a slightly patronising tone...just to piss him off a little more, "but if you don't mind, I wanna call it a night." he said as he turned, strolling off along the grass towards their shared tent.

Ray frowned. Oversized cat?!

He really was a glutton for punishment...

"_Hey, Driger?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Kai's coming back. Give him a warm welcome, huh?"_

A deep chuckled rang in his head.

"_Would be a pleasure..."_

Kai stopped outside the tent and braced himself. He checked in his pocket to make sure he had matches or something flammable.

He always did when he was going to be close to that...beast.

He pushed the green fabric back and kept his glare as he slowly stepped in.

The large, white and black striped animal lifted it's head from it's curled position on Ray's bed, bright orange eyes looking directly at him.

Kai scowled.

Good. He knew his place this time...stupid animal...

He walked in, feeling tense, but doing his best to ignore the enormous tiger in the room as he slumped on his bed, throwing his legs up and laying back.

He shot one more glance at the tiger, still feeling his eyes on him before putting his arms behind his bed and closing his eyes, shifting and settling down in to a comfortable position.

The tiger lay in waiting. Biding his time until he heard the breathing slow and soften. His wild, orange eyes glinted.

He pulled himself up, stealthily and quietly pawing his way off the bed, watching the bed carefully.

Kai didn't flinch.

He crouched down, his hips shaking slightly as he lined himself up.

With one more wiggle, his paws pushed off the ground as he leapt, landing with his two front paws on his shoulders, pinning him.

Kai's eyes shot open, startled.

"What the!? Get the _**hell **_off me!" his voice shrieked as he did his best to wriggle out.

Driger's head moved down, using his hard skull to nuzzle his face, getting a noise of annoyance and a little pain from the boy under him.

"I said get_** off**_! Stupid fucking furball!" he yelled as he struggled under the paws.

Driger went on to start licking his face. His large, wet, pink tongue feeling like sandpaper on his face, making him wriggle harder.

"Argh! God! Stop! Seriously, stop! What's wrong with you?!"

A low purr rumbled from the tiger's throat as he continued to roughly lick his face, occasionally throwing in a 'nuzzle' that was more like a headbutt.

He struggled harder, pointlessly, losing his temper.

Why hadn't he turned the oil lamps on!? He could have cooked this fleabag.

"_**Ray!**_" he screamed, knowing full well he had something to do with this.

The green fabric pulled back again, amber eyes glinting just like the tiger's.

"Awwww, look at that! He's giving you kisses!"

He laughed on the inside, seeing him beneath his giant friend looking red faced and angry as all hell.

"Get him the hell off me!"

Rei shook his head dramatically.

"And all he ever did was love you..."

* * *

End of the intro chapter!

I hope you enjoyed it!

Let me know if you'd like a chapter 2 and beyond! :)


	2. Just Like Every Other Day

Hey all!

Thanks so much to those who read and those who left a comment! Was so glad to hear you liked the first chapter!

I'm ready here with the second one. I'll be super honest from the get-go, it isn't the best chapter, purely because I'm using it to introduce some minor characters and some other things to get the ball rolling.

I hope you won't judge too harshly and you'll come back for the next chapter!

As with my other stories, I always aim to update like once a month! My job is pretty rough and cuts my writing time, but I'll do my best!

I hope you enjoy! Here you go!

* * *

Chapter 2 – Just Like Every Other Day

Kai's eyes peeled open with the crack of dawn the following morning.

He stretched and rolled over, blinking himself awake and staring for a moment at his friend fast asleep on the opposite side of the tent. His large, furry friend curled up and leaving him hanging off the bed.

He huffed as he sat himself up, yawning and running his hand through his two-tone mop, glancing over again and smirking a little.

For a position that looked pretty uncomfortable, he looked rather content as he slept.

Ray always did seem to sleep better when Driger was in with him, using any excuse to bring him in with them. He was used to it and understood why Boris insisted as such, but he never did like his companion sleeping in a cage. It seemed cruel. To him, he wasn't just some animal.

A major contrast to Kai. To him, that tiger was nothing but a pain in his ass.

He threw the blanket off himself and forced himself up. He wasn't one for laying in bed once his eyes had opened.

Standing up, he raised his arms and stretched out his entire body, enjoying the clicks and cracks in his slightly sore joints. One of the several side-effects of being a performer.

His hands slapped right back down to his flat gut as it let out an angry sounding growl.

He'd skipped dinner last night. He had planned to go out later on when the others had drifted off to bed, but lost his appetite after that stupid lummox had breathed his rank tiger breath in his face.

Throwing on his scruffy pants, shirt and braces, he quietly stepped out his tent, taking in a deep breath of the crisp morning air.

Hardly anyone would be up yet. Which is why this was his favorite time of day.

He strolled along the grass, enjoying the peaceful view of the dawning sky, bronze and yellow slowly graduating to blue over the tops of the tents.

The big top suited dawn. The pinks and yellows blending in with the red and yellow stripes.

It always struck him that in the light of the day, this place seemed like an entirely different world.

His nose picked up the scent of something cooking, making his stomach get angrier at him and his legs to walk faster.

He made it to his destination, a large, open gazebo set up with tables and chairs. A big trailer sat just beside it.

He smirked as his eyes drifted to a fire pit. A short, plump older woman with her auburn hair pulled back in to a French braid, crouching down. Her large chest appeared to be getting in the way while her strongly defined facial features scrunched as her sea-green eyes stared angrily at the wood, fanning it to try and get it going.

He strolled up to her, hands in his pocket.

Her eyes looked up at him as she felt someone approach. Her eyes not losing their irritation as she took in who it was.

"...You just going to stand there or are you going to help?" she barked at him.

His smirk grew as he stared in to the barely smoking pile of wood.

In a flash, they burst in to a roaring, crackling fire. The woman startled as the flames attempted to lick her skin and toppled back.

As her backside hit the floor, she glowered at him.

He gave her an innocent look.

"What? I helped..."

She heaved herself up, straightening her grey dress as she continued to stare him down.

"Of course..." her low voice muttered sarcastically as she folded her arms, "I have a bone to pick with you anyway..."

Kai suddenly didn't feel so cocky.

She always held a stern face. Even when she was smiling. But the tone of her voice told him he was in trouble with her, which was never good.

"Oh...?" he inquired.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You singed your costume. Burned holes in it, too."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"Well, what do you expect? I literally play with fire." he huffed back.

She looked him up and down.

"It's getting too small for you, too." she bit.

He huffed a laugh at that.

"What? You're angry at me for growing?"

Her lip curled in to a slight snarl.

"You're always making more work for me...stay there." she ordered as she took herself in to her large trailer, coming out a moment later holding out a long tape.

"Turn. Arms out." she barked.

Kai flinched and backed away.

"Marta..." he whined, "come on, I can just wear normal clothes! It won't matter so much if they get burned that way!"

She stomped over to him, catching him and grabbing his shoulders, forcing him to turn and pulling his arms out, stretching the tape across him to measure him.

Behind him, her grimace turned in to a small smirk as she took in his now broad shoulders. He sure was growing up...not the skinny little runt he used to be.

"You know Boris wants you to wear one. He's the boss. Do as your told for once."

He flinched as her hands went to his sides, taking more measurements.

"...Well...can you at least not make them so..._tight_?" he asked with a slight flush spreading across his nose.

That thing they made him wear really...clung to him.

She let out a crude chuckle.

"And disappoint all those young ladies in the audience?"

She chuckled more as she felt him tense up.

This one was a real prude. Stiff.

Despite being here a long time, he never had quite lost the privileged air he'd come with...

One of her few pleasures was to ruffle his feathers. Bring him down a peg.

"You're blossoming in to quite the fine young man..." she grinned before tapping his backside, "it's not just your fire tricks that heats them up..."

Kai jumped at the slap, quickly squirming away and turning to her, eyes burning as hard as his face was.

"Don't be vulgar!" he scolded loudly.

God, why was everyone here so...crude.

Her eyes softened, but held a mischievous glint.

"Oh, relax my little prince..." she cooed, "don't fight it, enjoy it! Lord only knows you could use something to help you lighten up a bit...someone as blessed as you could have their pick of anyone they choose..." she smirked.

His frown and his flush deepened.

He was not like any of them...a bunch of low-lives who pissed their lives away somehow and ended up in a circus. Filling their otherwise boring existences by working their way around fornicating with each other to pass the time.

"What are you two bickering about so early in the morning?" a softer voice came, distracting them both.

They turned to the voice. A young woman with long, blue hair thrown up in a high ponytail. Eyes of green.

Marta let out a snort.

"You're late. You were supposed to be getting the fire ready twenty minutes ago..." she barked before nodding back at her other problem, "but his majesty here was complaining about his costume..." she stirred, knowing the reaction it would get.

Kai tensed harder, also knowing he was about to get the same speech...

The green-eyed girl frowned, ignoring the scolding for being late to her cooking duties.

"You think you have it bad?! Try spending every night in a fake fish tail! You know how much of a pain that thing is to get on and off?! Let alone swim around in it while looking graceful and wondrous!"

He rolled his eyes. Here we go again...

"Must be real hard...since I wouldn't use either of those words to describe how you look in that tank..." he scoffed back.

Mariam.

Long-time attraction at the Balkov Circus.

She was discovered at the age of nine around the Kola Peninsula, in the far north of Russia. Word reached Boris of a young girl who could breathe underwater.

She was his within a month. Arriving at the circus and becoming the _Rusalochka _(The Little Mermaid) as soon as they could get a costume ready and a tank big enough to be crowd pleasing.

Now the ripe age of nineteen, she was celebrating a decade of being adored and admired by all.

...Current company excluded, that is.

Her shoulders lifted in annoyance, though why she let _him_ bother her was beyond her.

Should be used to it by now.

"Why don't I throw_ you _in and lock you in it and see how elegant you look, your highness?!" she bit back, her hands going to her hips, "Wouldn't be able to fall back on your _amazing_ fire power to save you!"

Her irritation only caused his smirk to grow.

So easy. Just like Ray.

If you wanted to get under their skin, all you had to do was tell them their acts were shit.

And while she was right that in the event of being locked in a tank of water, his 'amazing' fire power would be no use to him, right now it was about to gain him a win.

Glancing at the fire he got started for Marta, a small ball of flame broke away, floating its way to the fiery young sea hag.

As it made it's way towards her, its definition morphed in to that of a closed fist.

Her eyes narrowed at it as it got closer.

Before her eyes, a flaming finger rose from the middle of the fist.

Her jaw fell open as she glared harder at him, preparing herself to tear him a new one.

Sadly, for both of them, someone else got their first.

A thick hand swiped across the back of his head roughly.

"In front of a lady!? For someone so uppity, you sure don't have much class!" Marta fired at him viciously while he gripped the back of his head and winced.

"Don't see any _ladies_ present..." he muttered through his grit teeth, feeling the sting of the slap radiating.

The older woman's eyes burned harder than the flame that had just gotten him in trouble. She gripped the arm of his shirt and yanked it closer to her.

"Would you like to repeat that!? May I kindly remind you again who is making your costume?"

His bravery receded as he sunk a little in to himself, waving the white flag.

If he dared make another comment, he'd be sent out on stage with nothing but a loin cloth to cover his shame.

She eyed him and waited out the silence, satisfied he'd made the correct choice.

"That's a good boy..." she mocked, "Now, do me a favor and go fetch Boris. Breakfast will be ready soon." she ordered.

He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands back in his pockets and skulked away. Eyes avoiding Mariam's smug ones at all cost.

Marta watched him go, letting out a slight chuckle as she shook her head.

"Cheeky little shit..." she spat out as he got far enough out of earshot.

Mariam raised a brow in amusement.

As much as her scolding Kai like a naughty little boy had made her morning, Marta really wasn't much of a lady...

Skulking his way back down the dewy field, kicking up tufts of grass as he went, Kai made his way to the most lavish trailer in their little compound.

Which wasn't saying much. A trailer was a trailer. But this one was large and spacious.

He rapped his knuckles against the door and took a step back, letting out a huff as he waited for a response.

After he was left in silence a little too long, he knocked harder.

The door swung open, revealing a long, gruff face with a cigarette hanging out of the side of his thin lips.

No longer donning his vibrant red coat and shiny gold buttons, but instead a worn-out white shirt and fraying pants. His skin clean of the shield of make up left it somewhat haggard.

His lilac eyes looked him up and down.

"Yes?" he asked curtly.

Crimson eyes rolled.

"The boss told me to come get you for breakfast." he answered just as bluntly.

Boris narrowed his eyes, unamused by the implication that someone was higher up than he was.

"Very good...I'll be over shortly. Did she have at you for the costume yet?" he asked with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

His eyes rolled around yet again.

"Yep."

The thin lips curled into a smirk as he blew out a stream of smoke.

"Marvellous. Perhaps you'll start taking better care."

Kai gave him a bored look.

"Again...literally play with fire. Really don't know why you all get so bent out of shape if I burn it."

He got a stern frown back.

"Do you know how much those things cost?"

Kai gave a careless shrug.

"Probably not much compared with how much money I make for you..." he answered back smugly.

Boris let a deep chuckle leave his throat.

Arrogant little shit...

"Ah yes...how silly of me...my little _star_." he smirked, "since you're such a money-maker, perhaps you should rehearse under my supervision today. Make sure you're up to snuff."

Kai's shoulders went limp as he groaned.

He _really_ should learn when to keep his mouth shut.

Practicing with Boris was always hell. And painful.

Nothing but absolute perfection was acceptable. No matter how much your muscles screamed, no matter how much blood, sweat or tears were spilled, you weren't done until he was satisfied.

It was always a miracle to have enough energy left to do the show that night.

Boris let out another chuckle at the groan and clapped his shoulder.

"Consider it payment for the costume. And for trying to skip out on the performance last night before the finale I asked for...don't think I forgot about that..."

He released his shoulder, stepping out of the trailer and letting the door fall closed.

He held in his third chuckle at the look of the young boy's face and stretched his arms out, inhaling deeply.

"Ahhh, it's going to be a good day...come, let's go eat. You'll need the energy..." he added with a slight bite to his tone before his feet moved him away from the trailer.

Kai begrudgingly followed.

Today was going to be anything but a good day.

By the time they got back to the open tents, the circus had begun to wake up.

Tired faces filtered in quickly, grabbing seats where they could with their plates of food sloppily served up by Marta.

Kai silently broke away from Boris, wanting to enjoy what little time he'd have away from him today and head towards the amber eyes that had finally graced the outside of their tent, waving him over.

The golden eyes brightened as he slumped in to the empty seat next to him.

"Rough morning already?" he asked in between a smirk and a forkful of food as he took in the sour expression.

"Training with Boris today..."

Ray snorted.

"Ouch...what you do this time?"

He turned his head and arched a telling brow at him.

"Ah...opened your mouth?"

"Mmhmm..."

He gave him a fanged smile back.

"That's your own damn fault then...but on the bright side, last night looked close to perfect to me! Shouldn't have to be too ruthless with you."

He was answered with a stony silence, pushing the food around his plate instead of bothering to reply.

As if that would make a difference.

Ray rolled his eyes slightly.

"Gee, thanks Ray! Yours was pretty spot on too...oh wait, I never stuck around to see it..." he said in a forced, husky voice, mimicking him.

Kai slammed down his fork and frowned at him.

"Really? You're going to harp on me too?"

His fang came out again.

"May as well. Kick you while you're down and all."

"...Thanks. Some friend you are..." he replied dryly.

"You're welcome, _buddy_. You deserve it." he mocked back.

Kai's eyes were dragged away from him by a sense he was being looked at. His head turning like a magnetic pull.

Lilac eyes stared impatiently from across the rows of tables.

"Well..." he sighed as he threw down his fork yet again on to his plate of barely touched food, "guess that's me done. See you later tonight if I'm still alive."

Ray nodded and swallowed a mouthful of bread.

"Make sure you keep enough energy to watch my act tonight."

He scowled at him.

Like a god damn broken record...

"Uh huh...my top priority. Have fun swinging round poles and shit with _papa_...try not to break a nail." he bit as he pushed himself out of his seat, taking himself away quickly before Ray had a chance to have the last word.

Ray chuckled as he watched him go.

If he had a ruble for every time Kai made a snarky comment laced in jealousy about his trainer, friend and mentor, he...well, he probably wouldn't have to be in the circus.

By no means was his training easy or any less strenuous than any of the other performers, but their close relationship probably gave that impression to others.

It definitely made it more enjoyable.

Shoveling down the last of his bread, as well as what Kai had left behind, Ray went off to start his usual morning as well.

Help with some chores. Practice. Practice some more.

He smirked to himself again as he approached the start of his day, rolling up his sleeves ready.

Even his chores got him snarky, jealous comments from Kai.

Rei was always assigned to help care for the animals, since one of them belonged to him anyway and no one else really wanted to tend to a large tiger.

While there wasn't much glamour in shoveling shit or laying down bedding, he knew his stoic friend and roommate had a soft spot for the animals.

Again, with the exception of Driger.

Boris seemed to know it too, since his cocky attitude always landed him with other, less appealing chores.

Like cleaning the stands.

Or restrooms if he really pissed him off...

But he knew he was envious that he got to hang out with an elephant, horses, colorful parrots and even some exotic snakes while he swept up the remains of spilled candy or worse.

Almost two hours later of putting his back in to it, the animals were fed, cleaned and watered, spending a little time petting them like he did most mornings, giving himself a little break before his work really began.

He ran back to their tent to change before heading over to meet 'papa'.

He pushed back the fabric of the red tent, letting himself in without so much as a warning like he did every morning.

"Mornin' Bo!" he called in cheerfully as he smiled at the middle-aged man enjoying a peaceful cup of tea.

Deep brown eyes framed with crow's feet lifted to him.

"Is it that time already?" the older man groaned, running a hand through his slightly greying black hair.

He threw back the dregs of his tea and heaved himself up out of his seat, smoothing down his permanently wrinkled pants pointlessly.

Ray cocked a playful brow.

"Could always just stay here and relax all morning if you'd rather. I wouldn't complain."

The elder's round face smirked.

"I bet you wouldn't...but I'm afraid we have some things to iron out. I saw a few things I wasn't too happy with last night."

Ray's playful brow and smile fell.

Really? He thought he'd done well.

Bo chuckled at the disappointed expression.

"Nothing we can't fix quickly. Just have to watch your form."

Ray let out a sigh.

Should have known. That was always his problem, from day one.

And yet, over ten years later, Bo still had the patience to teach him.

That was the difference between Bo and Boris. Or Bo and the other performers charged with teaching them.

Mistakes weren't met with punishment.

More than likely the large reason for Kai's envy.

But while he was by nature a kind and patient man, his fondness for Ray was due to more than just the act they worked on...

* * *

_Eleven years earlier. _

With a deafening hiss, the steam from the train escaped, flooding the platform.

The man in his early thirties stepped off the train, blinking and taking in his surroundings.

He'd been travelling for longer than a week, exhausted and feeling strange for being on solid ground again. Who knew the Trans-Siberian would be so advanced and yet so arduous at the same time?

Despite technically being in his homeland, China, he was as much a fish out of water as his Russian counterparts stepping off the train.

This wasn't his home. Or even somewhere remotely familiar.

This was Manchuria.

And he was here on business. Not a trip home.

China hadn't been his home for many a year anyway.

He wore attire and spoke a tongue that wasn't native to this land. His mother tongue left to dwell somewhere within him. Remaining intact but rusting slowly over time.

In his dazed wandering around the platform, he missed the narrowing eyes squinting at him as he walked by.

The eyes belonged to a dirty looking old man, head to toe in rags that were arguably as old as he was.

"Hey! Suit!" he called to him as he hastily made his way to him, tapping him on the shoulder roughly, "you the one here for the tiger boy?"

Bo Kon turned, startled at the touch back in to his surroundings, trying to blow off the cobwebs in his brain where his native language was kept.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked with a quizzical brow.

The filthy old man grinned at him with blackened teeth.

"Not many of our kind coming off the Trans-Siberian..." he reasoned.

That was fair enough.

"Well..." he said as he straightened himself, eager to get business over and done with as quickly as possible so he could get the hellish journey back started.

He prayed Boris kept his end of the deal and gave him some time off in paid rest leave after this...

"The boy. Where is he?"

The old man's dull eyes brightened.

"Right this way..."

Bo's lungs let out a tired sigh, hoping it wasn't far.

His prayers were answered, taking him only a short rickshaw ride to a small, run-down looking inn.

Walking in, they were greeted by averted eyes by anyone they passed.

The old man led the way to his room, slipping the key in to the wooden door, requiring an extra hard shove to get it to open.

As the bottom of the door snapped free from the floor and opened, Bo heard shuffling and a slight whimper.

The shutters of the windows closed, the room was dark and smelled of dust.

Their footsteps entering caused the whimpering to get louder.

"_Quiet!_" the old man spat aggressively.

Bo startled himself at the loud bark.

His eyes strained to adjust to the lack of light, making out a small figure on the bed.

The old man hobbled to the shutters and threw them open to show off his product.

With the sudden stream of light, Bo's eyes strained and adjusted yet again, going to the direction the whimpering had come from.

A small lad curled in to himself on the bed, smeared in grime, and clad in filthy rags like his current owner, wrists and ankles bound together. His hair a length that could easily have him mistaken for a girl had he not known otherwise.

His adjusted eyes widened at the sad sight. A child not much older than five restrained in such a way and so frightened looking.

He slowly stepped towards him, setting himself at the end of the bed and feeling his heart sink at the boy shuffling away from him in fear.

But the fear in his eyes made the unique color of them brighter.

In an instant, his sinking heart stopped in awe.

He'd only heard stories of them. The White Tiger people.

"...They really do exist..." he said to himself, leaning closer to him to look him over.

His ears slightly pointed.

Eyes of amber.

The old man cleared his congested throat and stomped up to him.

"They do. Get a look at this."

Shoving by his guest, he grabbed hold of the squirming boy and roughly pulled him forward as he whined softly.

Yanking him, he brought him to an upright position and shoved him in front of his potential buyer.

His filthy hands reached to either side of his round face, placing fingers on both sides of his lower and upper lips to push them apart.

Bo's own lips curled in disdain, treating a child like some kind of highly bred dog for inspection.

But at the same time...

He was sat face to face with fangs.

"Amazing..." he breathed out again.

The old man's eyes glistened as he felt ever closer to a good amount of money.

"He is. And the little companion he comes with makes him quite extraordinary."

Bo's eyes strengthened. This was the whole reason he was here.

"...Show me."

The old man released his hold on the boy, heaving himself up and shuffling to a large cloth, yanking it off along with spores of dust to show a cage.

Inside held a white tiger trembling in the back. A young one. Not a tiny cub as he'd been led to imagine, the size of a large dog at least.

"A beaut, isn't he?" the old man smirked.

Bo slid off the bed and went to have a closer look.

He crouched down to the cage and met the scared, orange eyes that matched the child's.

Both of them looked like they'd gone without a decent meal for a while.

He hoped to God they were what the old man claimed. If they weren't, there was no way he could walk out of here with them.

His brown eyes moved to the shady dealer.

"And how can you prove they are what you say they are?"

The old man sniffed, shuffling back and clasping his hand on the scruff of the boy's clothes, yanking him over like a rag doll.

"Talk to it boy! Make it do something!"

The child's eyes winced before they watered as he stayed quiet a moment.

"I can't! He's scared!" his shaky voice squeaked out.

The old man lifted his hand.

"I'll give you something to be scared about!" he threatened in a low growl.

Bo frowned, raising his own hand.

"That won't be necessary!" he raised his voice at him, catching the old tyrant off guard and silencing him.

He shuffled himself closer to the young boy with a soft smile.

"Is it true you can talk to him?" he asked gently.

The boy shook a little before he nodded.

"He's your friend?"

The boy nodded again.

His soft smile grew.

"I've come from somewhere very far away..." he explained, as best as he could to be gentle. "You see, I work for someone who really wants to meet you and your friend..."

The little boy sunk in to himself.

"Driger..."

"I'm sorry?"

He lifted his amber eyes to him.

"His name is Driger." he told him more clearly.

"Oh...I see. Well, I work for a man. His name is Boris. He heard about you and Driger and wants to give you both a new home. Show people how special you are..."

The boy blinked, understanding but not really.

"It's a place with lots of people who can do amazing things. Things out of the ordinary." he went on, trying to see if he couldn't coax him in to being enticed to show him.

"We could take care of you both. Get you away from here...but I need to see if what you say is true."

The boy tilted his head.

"Why would I lie?" he asked innocently.

He couldn't help but smirk at his childish naivety, and hardly had it in him to start another spiel about how people were inherently full of shit and out to deceive.

"Because sometimes you have to see something to believe it." he settled on. "Do you think you could show me?"

The boy gave him a look. He could see he wanted to but wasn't sure how.

"...For example..." his mind scrambled, "do you think you could ask him to come over here?"

The boy glanced over at the tiger. As Bo's eyes went with him, he saw the tiger looking back at him.

Seconds went by, the eye contact between them not breaking as the boy's brow furrowed pleadingly.

Bo's heart slowed as the skittish beast slowly came up from its cowering in the back corner and carefully toed its way over to the other side of the cage.

"...Could you make him sit?" his brain scrambled further. He wasn't entirely sure what to ask him to do either. All he could land on was things like that of a dog.

Within seconds, the animal's hind legs lowered, sitting himself at the bars of the cage.

...That couldn't have been a coincidence, could it?

"...H-how about asking him to put his paws up on the bars?"

Seconds of silence was broken by a shuffle. The animal's front paws coming up and pressing against the bars.

Bo's face dropped.

Now that couldn't have been a coincidence either.

"...Can he make a noise?" he asked dumbly.

A few more moments passed, the tigers chest puffing before its top lip twitched, letting out something that was a mix between a growl and a mew.

He wasn't sure if what he saw was evidence enough, or if he just wanted to help the boy out.

Either way, this would be enough for Boris to work with...

Surely?

The boy was a curiosity in himself. Even if the bond with the tiger wasn't as they were told, they could train them both to make a decent show.

They'd trained other beasts to jump through hoops, there was no reason they couldn't make this one do the same.

The grimy old man grew impatient.

"Well?" he bit.

Bo felt himself sweat a little.

He hated that Boris had assigned him to this.

If he made a mistake...if he wasn't pleased...

"I... I mean it seems legitimate..." he stuttered.

The old man huffed.

"I suggest you make up your mind. Quickly. I have other buyers lined up..." he bluffed.

Bo panicked more.

Missing out on a potential treasure was maybe worse than investing in a fake.

His anxiousness got the better of him.

"...We'll take him." he said with a forced, stern tone as he stood himself up, "for the price you agreed."

The old man couldn't contain his greedy grin.

"Wonderful...he's yours once I've received payment in full."

Bo wandered to his duffel bag, untying it and reaching in. He removed a brown paper bundle tied up with string and tossed it at him.

"Count it. It's all there..."

He watched as the grubby fingertips unraveled it, flipping through the thick pile of notes.

Then again.

And once more just to be safe.

His aged eyes glistened as they rose up to him.

"They're all yours. Pleasure doing business..." he said sweetly as he leaned over to the child, grabbing him and pushing him over to his new owner.

Bo's hands rested softly on his shoulders.

"Quite..." he answered politely.

The grubby old man handed the room key to Bo, taking his leave now his business was complete. They were his problem now.

The three of them seemed to be able to breathe better with his absence, and yet still the room's silence held a sense of wariness and tension.

Bo sent for food.

It was ambitious to think the child would be comfortable with him right away, but the least he could do was feed the poor lad.

The meal was eaten without a word uttered, but the volume at which the poor runt wolfed it down brought a small smirk to his lips.

All he managed to get out of him was his name.

Rei.

Following a quiet night and a refueled belly, Bo was tasked with getting Boris' new show piece back to Russia.

Another week of travel. A unique looking child and caged wild cat in toe.

All he was grateful for during that time was that it forced him and the boy to sit together. The two of them sharing a cabin.

Slowly but surely, as the hours rolled along like the train they were on, as the views lost their allure and being on a train lost its magic, the boy began opening his mouth.

As the days passed, the stories of his new home filled his mind with images his young, ignorant brain struggled to conjure.

It was nothing that resembled his life in the village.

And nothing like anything he'd seen in his travels with the mean old man that had taken him.

It was going to be magical.

People were going to come and see him and his friend. Watch them talk without speaking. It was going to amaze them and make them happy.

He couldn't wait.

The week of moving came to a stop. Not that Rei knew that right now.

His head rest against Bo's arm, only stirring from his sleep as he was tapped.

"We're here..."

He blinked his sleepy eyes and lifted his heavy head, leaning forward to look out the carriage window.

His eye bulged out his head.

A giant blue and red tent.

Other small ones of different colors dotted around the outside of it.

Teams of people unlike he'd ever seen going about their business; juggling balls, bending their bodies in to strange poses, strange beasts he'd never seen before.

Bo opened the door to the carriage and slipped himself out, allowing himself to stretch off some of the journey before holding his arms out to help the little one down.

A figure head towards them at a quick pace.

A tall man. White and pale. Hair purple. A broad grin on his face.

Rei hid himself behind Bo's legs as he approached.

The man's deep, jovial voice boomed from his voice, but the sounds coming from him made no sense to him.

He shrunk further in to him.

Bo reassured him he was all right.

This was the man who wanted him. The boss. Owner of the circus.

This was Boris Balkov.

With a little more coaxing, he was ushered in to the enormous blue and red tent, looking over his shoulder as Boris yelled more gibberish at two other men, who fetched Driger's cage from the carriage and carried him in behind them.

The men set him down, taking their leave the moment the covered cage touched the ground.

He was left alone with Bo and Boris, turning himself in his circular surroundings, large but full of chairs around the sides while they stood on a sandy area in the middle.

Boris' grin returned as he watched him. Taking in his new act.

What curious looking child...

"Do you have a name?" he asked softly.

The unfamiliar tongue made the boy tilt his head, confused.

"_He's asking your name..." _Bo translated.

"_I'm Rei."_ he told him quietly.

Bo translated back.

Boris nodded.

"I hear you and your pet have quite the special bond..."

Bo sighed...his Chinese was rusty enough as it was.

He paraphrased.

Boris stood in excited impatience as he listened to the unfamiliar language.

"What's he saying?" he asked impatiently.

"He's explaining that he and the tiger can communicate without speaking. Through the soul."

Boris rolled his eyes.

"Very poetic...did you see it yourself?"

Bo hesitated.

"He got the tiger to do some simple tasks I asked..."

Boris nodded again, strolling over to the covered cage with his hands behind his back, his shoes crunching along the sand as he walked.

His long, pale fingers gripped the cloth, pulling it off with one powerful yank.

He was met with wary orange eyes, making his smirk grow.

"Beautiful creature..." he mused before turning and eyeing the child, "tell him this..."

Rei looked between them as they went back to the weird tongue and waited.

Bo made eye contact with him, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"_He says he's going to let Driger out his cage now. He wants to see for himself..." _

The boy watched as he flipped the latches, lifting the bars of the small, cramped cage.

Driger shuffled back to the opposite end and cower, causing Boris to lift a brow.

Hardly ferocious...

"_He wants you to make him come out." _Bo explained.

Boris waited, glancing between the two of them.

The boy stared in to the cage at his pet for several moments before the beast toed his way timidly out of his cage and padded onto the sand.

As Bo had done with the grubby old man present, Boris went on to ask him to do several mundane things.

Sit down.

Lay down.

Raise a paw.

It seemed to satisfy him.

He rambled on in the harsh sounding tongue.

"_...He says he wants to make something very clear..."_ Bo started uncomfortably, _"If Driger were to be a threat to anyone, he'd have to kill him."_

Bo felt sick at having to translate that for him. Boris had no sense of softness, it seemed.

Rei's eyes widened, firing out words that sounded like protest as his amber eyes watered.

"He assures me he wouldn't pose any one any harm." he translated.

Boris smirked as he reached in to his jacket pocket.

"Let's see, shall we?"

Bo's face paled as he saw a large knife emerge from his pocket.

His voice getting stuck in his throat as his boss reached out, grabbing the young child and yanking him towards him, placing the sharp blade against his throat.

At the sound of the boy's yelp, the tiger's shoulders tensed and lowered to the ground, its timid demeanor vanishing in to air.

His nose curled up in to a snarl as his pupils grew smaller in his raging orange eyes.

A rumbling, warning growl echoed out his throat.

Boris watched curiously and carefully as he pressed the blade a little harder to the trembling boy's throat, earning him another whimper.

He bore his fangs as a louder growl erupted from him, his ears flicking while his large paws stalked closer.

Rei panicked. Not only did he have a sudden knife to his throat, but this man said he'd kill him if he did anything to harm anyone.

He had no reason to think he was lying.

He watched as his best friend's white and black fur lowered in to a soon to be pounce.

"_**Driger don't!"**_

The tiger lifted his head and growled.

"_**Please...don't...he won't hurt me if you don't hurt him!"**_

Boris watched as the child and beast silently stared at each other, the tiger seeming to be torn.

"Tell him to go back to his cage." he demanded.

Bo quickly relayed the message, a few beads of panicked sweat on his brow.

A few moments later, the tiger let out an annoyed growl, backing up on itself as it retreated, hissing at him as it pawed it's way back to the cage with a rumbling scream vibrating through his chest.

Boris' cold, lilac eyes brightened as a dark chuckle escaped his throat.

He pulled the blade away from the boy, tossing it carelessly to the ground to free his hands, slamming them together in a loud, slow clapping that echoed throughout the large, empty arena.

"Extraordinary! Just divine!" he praised with delight in his voice as he spun to his colleague with excitement.

"You are to start showing him the ropes first thing tomorrow. I want him settled and training within the week! And for God's sake, start teaching him some Russian!" he reeled off.

Bo blinked at him.

"But Boris-"

"No buts! The sooner he's thrown in, the sooner he'll swim! Get him to work!" he ordered, letting himself take a breath as he crouched down to the boy, placing a hand on either of his shoulders.

"You listen to him..." he told him as he gestured back to Bo, "Learn everything you can from him. You put your all in to this and good things could happen for you..."

Rei's wide eyes stared back.

He had no idea what he just said, but somehow he felt like he got the message...

* * *

"Ray! Lift that leg up! It's dropping!"

The long haired teenager fought to keep his face soft while his muscles strained, keeping his grip on the pole strong as he dug deep to lift his leg.

"And straighten it out! You look like an amateur!" Bo's voice barked at him from a few meters below.

His muscles in his feet screamed as he pointed his toes.

"Better! Come take a break!"

He never needed to be told that twice.

Relaxing his grip and bringing his legs down, he slid seamlessly down the pole back to the grass beneath it.

Bo clapped him on the back.

"Getting there...just need to-"

"Be aware of my form, I know." he smirked.

Bo gave him a playful smack on the arm.

"If you know so well, why do I need to keep telling you? Go get some water, we'll go again in a few."

Ray nodded at him thankfully, walking off to get himself a drink.

He wandered through the open area, filled during the day with all the performers practicing and perfecting their acts for the night ahead rather than patrons.

Bodies stretched in to graceful but unnatural positions, batons twirled, pins were juggled in large numbers.

...Fire shot in to the sky.

"Stop! I said dazzle me, not bore me! **Again!**"

He winced. He knew that voice all too well.

He knew he shouldn't...but as always, curiosity got the better of him.

He took a slight detour towards the booming voice, peering around a small tent to get a look in to the empty, open area.

Kai panted, grey smoke disbanding in the air around him.

For a day that wasn't overly warm, beads of sweat rolled down his skin. A tired, pink flush on his normally pasty white skin.

Boris was sat comfortably to the side with his arms folded looking irate.

"Where's your stage presence, Mr. Moneymaker?! You look like an idiot who found a box of matches! I want pizzazz! I want something worth the entrance fee!"

As he finished his rant, his lilac eyes darted to meet his prying amber ones.

In an instant, sprung himself back behind the tent.

The last thing he wanted was to be dragged in himself for being nosy. He'd been burned that way before.

Nor did he want the bitching he'd get from Kai if he spotted him spying...

Getting his water and going back was his safest bet.

Hours later, the warm spotlight blinded him as he took his bow, soaking in the applause after a performance well done.

His counterpart lowering his white and black head in his own bow sent the clapping to new volumes.

He came up, flashing them a fanged smile with a wave as he turned, leaving the noise and cheers behind him. Driger's tail swishing as he followed.

He disappeared behind the thick curtain, making the applause drown out slightly and walked through the bodies dotted around backstage, giving nods and thanks to the familiar faces praising him for another job well done, like they did every night.

Now the initial rush was over, fatigue was starting to sink in.

The deeper he walked backstage, the fewer the bodies became.

As he turned to corner near his dressing room, he stopped. Taking in a tall figure leaning lazily against the wall next to the dressing room door with his arms folded, still donning the black, slightly burned costume he despised so much.

Crimson eyes turned to greet him.

"...Worked out the bugs, I see."

Ray's lips curled in to a smirk.

"Thought the same about yours."

He was given a slight smirk and an amused 'hn' as he peeled himself off the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets as his feet moved towards him.

"Good work..." his husky voice praised flatly as he passed.

The pink hue from his exertion turned in to more of a red as he kept his head forward, listening to the footsteps getting further away from him.

"Th-Thanks..."

* * *

End of Chapter!

Honestly, I know this isn't the best chapter. It really was just to introduce some minor characters and stuff! I hope you'll stick around!

Also, I'm aware Ray's name turned to 'Rei' for a while there. I know I tend to flip-flop between them in my other stories by mistake, but this time it was actually intentional! XD

Would love to know what you think!

Thanks for reading and hope to see you for chapter three! :)


	3. Expectations

Hello, lovely readers!

After a delightful week off work, I've finally managed to update every story! This being the last! Just in time for...going back to work tomorrow... (pray for me T.T)

Thanks to those who read the last chapters, and big thanks to Julia Fernandez and KT Scott for leaving such lovely comments!

This chapter is a little different from the last two, probably will be more of these in the future, because this is only part one of it (you'll see when you read).

I really hope you enjoy it! This one was a lot of fun to write!

Here we go!

* * *

Chapter 3 - Expectations

"Disappear," the nasally, deep voice of the thin, elderly tutor quizzed. Arms behind his back as he stood beside his young student, sat with the posture he'd been taught rigidly in his chair.

"D-I-S-A-P-P-E-A-R." he spelled out. Hands placed neatly on the knees of his pressed, grey pants, facing forward at the wall.

His tutor gave a nod.

"Good. 'Possession'."

"P-O-S-E-S-I-."

"Wrong." the nasally voice cut off, "Try again."

He tensed. There went his perfect score...

"Ah...P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N." he corrected.

"That's better." his tutor gave a deeper nod.

The heavy oak door creaked open, a cane tapping against the wooden flooring.

An old man, with long grey hair that reached below his shoulders, smirked slightly as he stepped in.

"How is my grandson doing?" his deep voice inquired smoothly.

Kai's head snapped to the door, snapping back to the wall ahead as he jumped out his seat. Standing perfectly straight with his hands glued to his sides like he was expected to when his grandfather entered the room.

His grandfather's smirk grew larger, looking from his young grandson to the tutor, Mr. Nikolaev. A long time servant of his household. They were close in age. First coming in to the house as a tutor for his son. And now he was here passing knowledge on to his.

"Very well indeed, Lord Voltaire." Nikolaev praised with a polite bow.

A small chuckle left the old man's lips.

"Splendid!" his deep voice responded as he stepped closer to the boy, still staring ahead at the wall in front of him, stood straight and stiff as a pole.

"You always were bright. A blessing from your mother, no doubt..." he said with a slight bite to his voice.

Kai stared harder at the wall, feeling uncomfortable.

His grandfather and his father were no strangers to heated disputes and arguments. Their relationship being strained for as long as he could remember in his short life.

He despised it.

He cared deeply for them both. Hearing one make comments that were less than flattering to the other always felt horrible. All he could do was be a good boy and stay quiet, as was expected of him.

Just like when the yelling and the tempers flew.

Mr. Nikolaev cleared his throat gruffly.

"You were spoken to, Master Kai..."

Kai managed to get even tenser.

"Thank you, sir."

Voltaire chuckled at him again before he waved a hand at the tutor.

"I think we'll call it a day here, Mr. Nikolaev. You are excused. Take the afternoon to do as you wish."

Kai blinked, finally daring to look at him.

This was a first...

"Sir?"

Voltaire shifted his weight on his cane.

"You're effort with your studies hasn't gone unnoticed. And considering the special occasion, I thought you deserved a reward."

Kai's wide eyes blinked again.

His grandfather's smirk widened.

"It's not every day my only grandson turns seven, after all..."

It was Mr. Nikolaev's turn to tense.

He hadn't remembered.

"Many happy returns, Master Kai!"

The young boy turned to him.

"Thank you, sir." he responded quietly.

Voltaire held out his arm.

"Come along, now." he coaxed, giving him the subtle all-clear to relax.

Doing as he was told, he thanked his teacher and followed his grandfather's lead out the bright yet dreary room.

The cane echoed down the long hallways lined with portraits and vases, the line of windows lighting up the dark wood with the natural light from the August afternoon.

The brighter environment rubbed off on him. Stepping out from his lesson was like stepping in to a new version of himself, feeling the tension simmer down and his excitement growing.

"What are we doing today, grandpa!?" he asked as he looked up at him.

Only when the two of them were completely alone was he allowed to address him as that.

In front of company, he was to be 'grandfather' or his title, 'Lord Voltaire'.

"Well, our first stop is, I'm afraid, one of business rather than pleasure. I must stop by the factory and thought perhaps you'd like to accompany me..." he said, flashing a smile as he saw his eyes light up.

It was hardly a treat for his birthday, but his young grandson seemed fascinated with the machines at the factory. And loved to go there.

It was very rare that he was allowed to. Hardly a place for a boy of his class to be wandering around in.

Voltaire was pleased at his interest though, showed more than his wretched father ever had...

"Once we're done there, I saw something advertised in the paper that I think you may enjoy! But its a surprise.."

His childish excitement bubbled in him. So much so, he forgot himself.

"Is papa coming too?!"

He regretted it instantly when he felt his grandfather tense up.

"Your father is invited, of course..." he told him reluctantly.

Kai left it at that. He'd see his father at the factory, anyway.

After being taken by his nanny to get him dressed and ready, Kai ran down grand, winding staircase

to the lobby, where Voltaire was waiting for him.

He fought himself from running to the carriage, keeping himself in check and walking behind his grandfather, as was protocol.

He was lifted in by the driver, being too short still to reach the step in to it and beamed as he jumped up on the plush, red seating opposite his grandpa.

Voltaire lifted his cane, knocking the roof with his cane to give the OK to leave.

With the sound of a whip, hooves clacked against the ground and the carriage moved.

The sun streaming though the windows of the carriage highlighted his pale skin. It wasn't very often he got to leave the estate. His grandfather insisted on homeschooling, blaming the interaction with too many children of sub-par parenting for how his father turned out. Hence why he pulled him out and brought Mr. Nikolaev in in the first place.

As the estate became far behind them, he waited impatiently for the city to make itself visible, pressing his hands and face against the window the moment the buildings came in to view.

His eyes glittered, there were so many kinds!

Red brick, stone, tall ones, huge ones, ones with colorful domes on the top.

And not just the buildings, the people! There were so many of them!

Fat ones, thin ones, pretty ones, strange looking ones...

This was the capital of their motherland, after all.

Not taking his eyes away from the window, he soon got wind of where about they were, things starting to look familiar from the few times he'd been there before.

They were almost there!

It wasn't long before a large, red and white archway greeted them, passing through it down a long pathway to a large, red bricked building, smoke bellowing from the huge chimneys.

His future standing tall and alive in front of him. Masses of grubby men in overalls walking in and out.

His grandfather stepped out first, leaning on his cane as he offered a hand for his young heir to take and jump down.

He trotted beside him, his small legs working overtime to keep up with his grandfather's broad steps as his cane hit the ground rhythmically.

Every man and woman they passed stopped in their tracks, doffing their flat caps or giving slight bows, echoes of "Good afternoon, Lord Voltaire."

As they walked through the enormous door, loud hisses of steam, clangs, pistons, lathes, metal hitting metal attacked Kai's senses as he looked around in awe.

Lines of people provided the manpower, sweat dripping down their brows as they manned the machinery.

In the distance, a middle aged man with round glasses spotted them, deciding to put his current task on hold, turning and running towards and up the tall metal staircase.

He gave a quick knock before pushing the door open to the main office.

"Your father is here..."

As quickly as the words hit his ears, a man in his late thirties jumped out his chair from behind his large desk, running his hands through his dark hair.

"He's an hour early!" he complained, straightening his suit.

The older man let out a chuckle.

"Would it make it better if I told you he's brought your son, too?"

He stopped fiddling with his shirt and looked brighter.

"Kai's here?"

"Yes, Mr. Hiwatari."

He smirked.

His old man had a heart sometimes...with Kai at least.

He knew how much his boy loved coming here. He begged often, always told no.

But, today he was making an exception...

"Well...best not to keep the old man waiting..." he psyched himself up before heading towards the door.

Kai zigzagged carefully behind him. Taking the brief, few second windows he had to inspect the workers and the tools they were using.

A familiar face glanced over before doing a double take.

"Is that Master Kai I see?" he asked cheerfully as he wiped off his brow.

The boy grinned and ran over to him.

"Hello, Mr. Pavel!"

Pavel raised his eyes to his boss, straightening himself and addressing him properly.

"Good afternoon, Lord Voltaire!"

"Afternoon."

He shifted. Despite being well liked by the higher ups, an old friend of the boss' son, he still had to watch his formalities.

Which was never exactly his strong suit.

"...To what do we owe the pleasure of this young man?" he asked, hoping that even made sense.

"It's my birthday!" Kai informed him, holding in his bounce.

Pavel leaned over, putting his hands on his knees with a grin.

"Is it? And how old are you today? Five?"

Kai scoffed.

"No...I'm seven!"

Pavel gasped.

"You're not, are you?!" he exclaimed, "I remember you when you were still in diapers!"

Kai scowled, embarrassed. He was a big boy now...

"I am!"

Pavel laughed, seeing his offence.

"And what a strapping lad you're turning in to! Looking more like your father each time I see you!"

It was Voltaire's turn to scowl.

As long as it was in looks only that he took after him...

Pavel raised his head.

"Ah! Speak of the devil and he shall appear!"

The two Hiwataris turned around. Lo and behold, the middle one was approaching.

As Kai met eyes with his father, he felt even more excited. The urge to run and jump at him was strong, but he knew better. This wasn't the place for such a display.

The glint in Susumu's eye, however, told him he knew. An unspoken promise he'd make a fuss of him later.

Tearing his eyes back to his own father, he gave a polite smile.

"I wasn't expecting you this early, but the documents are ready to be signed..." he told him civilly as he gestured his hand towards the stairs.

He got a silent, civil nod back.

"Pavel, would you be so kind as to keep an eye on him while we take care of a few things?"

Pavel straightened up behind him.

"Of course, sir. Would be my pleasure."

"Thank you." his deep voice replied, almost halfheartedly as his cane once again tapped against the floor.

Susumu waited for his father to pass him, holding back just long enough to throw a wink at his son before he followed after him.

The two were left standing, watching them go.

"So, Master Kai..." Pavel said finally after a little silence, his brain scrambling for a way to keep the boy entertained, "how about we go see some welding?"

The boy's face glowed, nodding furiously.

This was the best birthday ever.

He was lead to the other side of the factory floor, stopping at a row of windows that looked in to the team of men hidden behind thick, metal masks.

He begged to go in and get a closer look, but the twist of fear in Pavel's stomach as he pictured the young heir getting burned made him refuse. The window was as far as they'd go.

He bent down and picked him up, lifting him to give the short kid a better view.

Kai pressed his face against the glass, mesmerized by the smoldering glow and the bright, burning speckles flying off as they worked.

Kai fired questions at him about what exactly they were doing, wanting to know absolutely everything.

Pavel, despite not being a welder, tried his best to answer.

Or just made things up, if he could get away with it.

Fifteen minutes passed them by, Pavel tiring while Kai was nowhere close to boredom when the man with round glasses came up to them.

He cleared his throat.

"You may need to watch him a little longer than planned..." he told him in a hushed tone.

Pavel raised a brow. He didn't mind as such, but his daily quota he was no where near reaching probably did.

"Fine by me...but any idea how long it will take? Those parts won't make themselves, you know..,"

His eyes glanced quickly to the boy pressed in to the glass from behind his round glasses.

"That all depends on how long his Lordship's lungs can hold out..."

Pavel sighed.

Yet another row, no doubt.

Kai's fingers tensed against the glass. He wasn't to interfere in adult's affairs. Or ask questions. But even he had a good idea of what was happening in that office above them.

Why did they have to be like this all the time?

Could they not go one day without one upsetting the other?

Why couldn't his grandpa be kinder to him? Like he was with him?

Why couldn't his father just do as his grandpa asked and avoid making him angry in the first place?

No doubt this was going to put them both in a terrible mood for the rest of the day.

Which meant wherever they were planning on taking him was going to have a dark cloud looming over it.

This wasn't going to be fun any more.

He barely ever got to leave the estate. The one time they were all going to go out and enjoy it, they had to go have a stupid fight.

His fingertips pressed harder in to the glass as he made himself stare hard through the window and be invisible while the adults talked.

It wasn't _fair._

The luminescent orange of the metal he was staring at became brighter. The sparks flew more frantically. In a flash, a large white and blue flame burst out from the metal, making the welder startle and jump back.

Kai let out a gasp.

Pavel and the other man snapped their heads towards it as it caught their eyes. The flame burning bright and burning out almost as quickly as it had come.

The welder looked at his rod, confused before shrinking down as his overseer ran over, scolding him.

The man with the round glasses shook his head, ignoring the display and going back to Pavel.

Apprentices...more trouble than they were worth.

"I doubt they'll be long enough to stop you from finishing your load...until then, watch him, please." he ordered sternly before turning on his heel.

Kai tapped him on the shoulder finally.

"What happened in there?!" he asked, pointing through to the welding room.

Pavel chuckled and set him back down on the ground.

"Ah, he probably just had the...welding thing set too high! Looks fine now though, don't worry!" he comforted as he felt brave enough to ruffle his hair, "how's about we go see something else? Or if your hungry or something, I can take you to the cafeteria?" he asked almost hopefully.

If he was going to babysit, he at least deserved an extra tea break.

Sadly, he was left wanting. Kai wasn't done admiring the machines.

It was just under an hour before the tapping of Voltaire's cane reached their ears.

"My apologies for the hold up." his smooth voice said almost genuinely as he reached them, "you may go back to your duties. Thank you for keeping him entertained." he dismissed as he put a hand on his grandson.

Pavel gave a slight bow.

"No trouble at all, Mr. Voltaire, sir. Any time." he replied politely before looking down at the boy, "and it was a pleasure to see you, Master Kai. Have a wonderful birthday."

Kai waved him off. Left with his grandfather.

"I'm sorry that took longer than expected. You must be getting hungry. Shall we meet your grandmother and have lunch?"

Kai's head lifted. The tone of his voice sounded pleasant. No hint of dwelling annoyance or anger that usually followed around.

Maybe it hadn't been what the man had implied?

Watching through the carriage window as it pulled away from the factory, his excitement came back.

A short while later, they were in the center of the city, pulling up to the side of grand looking building, fenced off with white, decorative fencing.

The driver left them, returning not long later with a slender, slightly irritated looking woman. Her long, silvery blue dress covering her feet, making it look as if she were floating rather than walking.

The driver opened the carriage door, offering a hand to help her Ladyship in.

Her features softened, sitting herself gracefully beside her grandson.

She quickly fixed her pure white hair in the reflection of the window before she turned her attention to him.

"Hello sweetheart." she cooed as she placed a kiss on his head, putting a gloved hand around him, "Happy birthday!"

He leaned in to her slightly, opening his mouth to reply to her.

He was cut off when she turned her attention to her husband.

"I waited for over an hour. You said you'd fetch me at noon..." her voice said calmly, but carried a trace of irritation.

It wasn't often Kai saw his grandfather look in any way intimidated. But here was one of those rare occasions.

"Forgive me, my dear. We ran in to some minor issues at the factory."

She raised a white brow.

"Nothing too troublesome, I hope?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing to worry yourself with." he answered before gracing Kai with a small smile, "but that's enough business for today, isn't that right, Kai?"

He gave a silent nod in reply.

Their next stop was a restaurant, a personal favorite of his grandmother's, and as such arrived their under her recommendation.

Walking in, the tastefully decorated room was filled with other well-dressed people, a lot of forced smiles and polite conversation mixed in with the clinking of fine china.

After the pristinely groomed waiter took their orders, his grandparents made vague attempts to engage their grandson in conversation.

But considering he didn't do much else other than studying, it soon fizzled out, leaving the grandparents to talk among themselves.

"What time are we meeting Susumu?" she asked after the plates were cleared from the table, replaced by a pot of Earl Grey.

"Five o'clock. There's still ample time." Voltaire replied lazily, lifting the teacup to his lips.

His wife requested they use the extra time they had to run a few errands, running the driver around the city to various places and stores while Kai quietly enjoyed the tour around the vibrant city as he waited patiently for five o'clock.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, they were heading to...wherever they were going.

"Will you tell me where we're going now grandpa?!" he asked.

He got a chuckle in response.

"No. You'll have to wait and see. Patience is a virtue." he told him matter of factly.

Another lyrical chuckle joined his.

"You tease him too much." his grandmother scolded, amused at the boy's pout.

The sun was beginning it's descent on the pleasant summer day. The clouds turning in to a blend of pinks and purples as dusk was threatening to make itself known.

Once again, Kai's face pressed against the window as the carriage slowed to a halt.

This place was unlike one he'd ever seen before.

Patchy grass was railed off with a large, flat entrance way. Colored in a bright yellow with rich red lettering.

_'Salamonsky Circus' _he read. His eyes running down to the lines of people herding their way in.

His grandmother rubbed his back.

"Surprise, darling! We saw this in the paper and thought you'd enjoy this! It even said the Tsars themselves have come to see it!"

Kai's curiosity soared. Wondering what lay behind the yellow entrance way.

Getting out of the carriage, he stayed at his grandfather's side as he head towards it.

"Ah! Your father is here!" his grandmother said as she waved, catching the tall image of her son in the distance.

Kai squinted, clocking him as well and finding his feet speeding up before he could stop them.

They broke in to a run. Dodging in and out the small crowd as he charged at his papa.

Susumu gave him a broad grin, he was tired, but had been looking forward to this all day as much as Kai had.

He bent down a little, bracing himself for impact.

As the small figure reached him, it leaped.

He caught him, lifting him up and squeezing him tight.

"Arrghhhh there he is! Happy birthday, sport!" he gushed as he swung him, his short legs swinging side to side as he did.

"How are you seven already!? At this rate I'm going to blink and you'll be off getting married and having sons of your own!"

The older couple caught up, his grandfather clearing his throat in warning.

"May I remind you we are in _public_..." he scolded in a low voice.

Susumu bit his tongue.

For god's sake, what was wrong with a father showing his son a little affection?

But of course, looking prim and proper in front of people they didn't know was way more important...

He would have argued back, but it would only upset Kai and his mother. Spoil the occasion.

He caved and set his son down obediently.

"I'm sorry." he apologized diplomatically, "got swept up. Shall we?" he asked as he gestured at the entrance.

Hopefully they could leave that attitude at the gate.

Handing their money over at the kiosk, they got their tickets. Finally able to pass through the yellow entranceway.

The crowd suddenly wasn't so small. Hoards of people browsing the various booths or crowding around performers.

Kai's eyes didn't know were to look. This place was bizarre.

One oddly dressed man was doing some kind of trick with cards. He didn't know what, but the people standing around watching seemed impressed. Another was juggling what must have been ten balls at once. Another had a dog jumping through hoops.

What exactly was all this?

Suddenly, a figure jumped in front of him and his father. His hair was wild, face painted white while his nose was bright red to match the huge painted red mouth. Thick black arches over his eyebrows. A ruffly collar around his neck.

Kai leaped out his skin, gripping on to his father's pant leg.

What on earth was that thing?!

The creature let out a terrifying broad smile, dancing and clicking his heels for some reason before crouching a little to ruffle his hair.

He panicked and hid behind his father.

That thing was going to haunt his dreams.

His father let out a small laugh.

"It's all right, he's just a clown! He won't hurt you, he wants to make you laugh is all!"

Kai stayed put. There was nothing funny about this monster.

The clown's smile fell a little as the child shifted even more around his father's back.

He backed off, lifting his hands in apology at the father before going to look for someone else to entertain.

Feeling him leave, Kai's head peered from around his father's legs. The coast was clear...

Susumu patted his head to comfort him, pointing at the huge tent, red and white in diamond patterns going around it.

"Come on! Let's go find our seats! It's going to start soon, we'll look around after."

Joined by his grandparents, they walked in to the dark mouth of the bright red and white tent.

The daylight left behind, they entered the dimly lit circle filled with levels of seats. The smell of wood and sand ripe in the air.

With hands on his shoulders, he was lead to one of the front row seats. Only the best for their family, after all.

Despite still being on edge and looking around for the horrible thing that had sprung on them, he tried to distract himself by looking at the circular arena in front of him.

All kinds of contraptions lay waiting. Hoops hung from the ceiling.

His fear was replaced with his curiosity again. What were those things for?

The seats soon filled and the lights dimmed.

A spotlight cracked on to the circle just as a tall, slim, blond man in a bright red jacket and black hat ran on to the stage.

His booming voice welcomed them, followed by an even more booming round of applause.

He followed his father and clapped back.

He jumped a little as his papa threw caution to the wind, draping an arm around him. Thank goodness his grandpa was sat at the other end.

Even though he was a big kid now, almost an adult, he thought, that clown thing had him feeling uneasy.

He glanced over his shoulder. The people sitting on the levels above weren't looking.

He shifted closer, leaning in to his side.

The show began.

Kai watched, alternating between confused frowns and wide eyes as performers in colorful costumes and make-up walked tightropes. Beautiful women in sparkling leotards, glinting silver like human swans swung and twirled gracefully through the hoops and bars high above them.

Men in bright, baggy pants walked on huge stilts, the two of them juggling pins together to make a figure eight almost.

It was so bizarre, yet so intriguing.

A bear was lead on with a chain around his neck that made his stomach fall.

He watched as the large, brown animal was lead on to a small, round platform and began to dance.

The audience adored it, but from where he was sitting, he could see the bear wasn't enjoying it.

He didn't like this one...it was sad. The bear's fur looked all matted. He was really skinny and probably hungry.

He refused to clap for that man when he lead the bear backstage. He was as evil as the clown.

Just as that thought left his mind, not one, but three white-faced monsters ran on to the stage, grinning idiotically as they stumbled, fell and rolled over their overly large shoes.

In a rapid heartbeat, Kai was glued to his father's side again.

Those things were horrible...

His father looked down at him, rubbing his arm.

"It's all right, they're just people with face paint is all." he whispered.

Be that as it may, those things had a malevolent air about them. He tried to watch, but every smile, every wobbly, dopey chuckle that left their mouths sent a cold, petrifying chill down his spine.

He caved and put his head in his papa's side.

Susumu held him a little tighter.

"I'll tell you when they're gone..." he reassured as he rubbed his back, feeling guilty.

Had he have known he'd be so scared of them, they could have chosen somewhere else to take him.

True to his word, once the three clowns took their bows and had their fill of applause, he tapped him.

For the last performance, a white horse with a pale pink feather head dress trotted on, a dazzling blonde woman in a matching pink dress wearing a radiant smile on it's back.

Its elegant hooves trotted around the arena while the woman bent herself in to all kinds of graceful yet incredible poses, somehow still keeping her balance on the moving horse's back.

As the horse moved faster from a trot to a gallop, her poses became more complex and breathtaking. As her finale, her hands gripped the sturdy, stiff reigns around the horse's neck, lifting her whole body out of the golden saddle, one leg extended straight up while the other was bent slightly to a more elegant shape.

"Such strength that young lady must have..." Kai's grandmother exclaimed as the audience burst in to applause.

The performers came out for their curtain call, lining up and taking their bows, blowing kisses.

...The clowns stumbled and fell over each other, sending a chill down Kai's spine, but getting a laugh from almost everyone else in the crowd.

The show now over, the crowd filed out, the daylight gone as evening had taken over.

"Did you enjoy that, Kai?" his grandmother asked with a smile.

She knew she had. She always was fond of the circus. It had been years.

He gave her a smile and a nod.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure. He'd liked some of it. But other parts, he'd hated.

He was in no rush to come back any time soon.

Not that he would tell them that. Would be ill mannered.

His grandmother glanced around and tapped her husband's arm.

"Oh, look! They have a fortune teller!"

Voltaire rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, how an intelligent woman like yourself is so drawn to those gypsies, I'll never understand..." he grumbled.

She gave his arm a firmer tap.

"When your father and I first courted, he brought me to a circus..." she told her son nostalgically, "I dragged him to the fortune teller there and she told us we'd be married and bare two sons!"

The air suddenly got sharp and tenser. For all of them.

"Yes. How clairvoyant. She predicted a man and woman would marry..." Voltaire bit dryly, changing the subject.

His wife forced her solemn expression in a to perfect smile.

"Let's go see what our future holds...for old time's sake?"

"Hn. At our age, death..." he said in a tone that didn't make it clear if he was being serious or if his darker sense of humour was coming out.

Susumu sensed an opportunity.

Where Kai was barely ever taken out of the estate, he in turn rarely got to do anything with him. And especially just the two of them.

"Why don't you take her, hm? I'll walk around with Kai and meet you both back here in a little while!" he suggested.

Voltaire narrowed his eyes.

Leaving that clown unattended with his grandson at a circus was the last thing he wanted to do.

However, he wasn't his biggest concern.

"Oh, please dear?"

It wasn't worth saying no to his wife.

"Very well..." he answered cooly with a forced smile, "I expect you back here in thirty minutes."

His wife pulled his arm in a not so subtle hint for him to hold it out for her. He obliged, of course, and happily the long married couple walked away, arm in arm.

Susumu's eye lit up.

Finally, some time with his boy without being under his own father's watchful eye.

"Let's go look around! You want a candy apple or something?" he offered as he took his son's hand and dragged him around.

Kai took up his papa's offer of a candy apple. The sweet fruit coated in toffee way too big for a boy his size to manage himself.

He'd share it with his papa though. He liked sweets.

They wandered around, one man performers still going strong, various stalls and games crowded by still excited patrons.

Susumu stopped in his tracks as something caught his attention.

Under a small, open gazebo, a man sat on a large blanket, papers surrounding him.

He pulled Kai along with him to investigate.

His eyes perused the papers. Stunning sketches, lifelike drawings, probably of patrons, drawn in such detail.

The man lifted his head.

"Want a portrait? 10 rubles. Yours in 10 minutes."

The man's accent showed he wasn't from around here.

Susumu let out a slight laugh.

"No, thank you. Quite enough of those at home..." he said as his mind went to the dreadful hours he had to pose for with his family without so much as moving.

"Besides..." he let out before he could stop himself, "I'm something of an artist myself..."

His voice held a little too much self arrogance. But it wasn't often he got to flaunt that fact.

The man lifted his head again with an annoyed, arched brow. Another 'artist' who thought he was better.

"Is that right...?" he asked flatly.

Susumu nodded proudly, taking his eyes to the pictures on the blanket.

"Mmhmm...probably not as good as these but...not too far off. Say, where are you from?"

"Poland." he answered just as flatly. If he wasn't going to buy anything, there was no point in wasting charm.

"Oh? And what brings you here?" he asked, interested.

"I'm here with the circus for the summer. During the day I look around Moscow for pieces to take back to my brother. I work for him and his gallery in St. Petersburg."

Susumu arched a brow. Somehow that story didn't add up too well.

The man cracked a smirk.

"My brother and I are good friends with the owner of this circus. He gives me a free room and food while I'm here, in return, I do portraits for customers and give him anything I make."

Susumu nodded, looking around the papers again.

"Well, it must be some room! I bet you're making him a killing with these!"

The man's annoyed brow returned. He was lucky if he sold three a night. And somehow it felt like a dig. Even if he didn't know that.

"Enough..." he answered flatly.

"And in ten minutes, you say?" he continued with an ever arrogant hint, "that as fast as you go?"

The man scoffed.

"You're an artist and you don't think ten minutes to create something of quality is fast enough?"

Susumu arched a brow back.

"Want me to show you?"

The man's scowl grew at the challenge.

"Why should I waste my paper on you?"

Susumu nodded. Fair point.

"All right. If I can draw faster than you, you draw me and my boy here for free. If you draw faster than me, I'll buy every sketch you have here."

The man blinked. Who was this guy?

He thought about it, the spectacle could help draw in some customers. And the worst that could happen was he lost ten rubles and had to draw this weirdo and his son.

"Very well...while I'm not busy..." he said lazily as he tore a paper from his pad and handed it to him.

Kai shifted uncomfortably as he looked around frantically.

If his grandfather saw this, his papa would be in so much trouble...

In among a lot of things, his grandfather strongly disapproved of his 'bohemian' side, as he put it. Accusing him of being too interested in frivolous things like this and letting it interfere with his duties. It was unbecoming of a man of their standing to be so...airy. That was a bored noblewoman's place, he'd always said.

He was powerless. No matter how kind his father was, he would never dream of speaking up to him. That wasn't his place.

It was too late anyway. With a pencil handed over, the two strangers were ready for battle.

They counted down. Getting to one, the pencils hit the papers.

Eyes darted from the white sheet to the other, taking in details and sketching furiously.

Kai kept looking around warily, but couldn't help but glance over his father's shoulder.

Right now, it didn't really look like the man...he'd have to do better than that, or his grandfather would definitely be angry when they met him with an armful of pictures he'd wasted hard earned money on.

It wasn't long before what had seemed like scribbles took form. Details making themselves known. Shadow and light, the shape of his face, the same look in his eyes.

His own eyes lit up.

"Come on, papa! You can do it!"

Susumu almost wished he hadn't said that. His heart warming was slowing him down.

It spurred him on something fierce though.

He smudged where he needed quickly, furiously sketching to a point it brought on a little sweat to his brow.

His contender was the same. He wanted to show this rich pansy who was king.

With a few more minutes passing and a few more frantic scribbles, Susumu turned his paper.

Seconds later, the other man did as well.

They both caught their breath, having held it in for long intervals during the whole thing, looking over each other's work.

The Polish man stared for a moment, taking in the detail he hadn't expected before he let out a deep chuckle.

"Well...luckily for you, I'm a man who can admit when he's beat."

Susumu was too busy looking at the picture the guy had drawn of him.

It was so perfect! Not one pencil stroke out of place.

"I wouldn't say beat!" he backtracked, "That is outstanding!"

"As is yours." the other complimented, "But, I'm a man of my word..." he said as he set his picture of Susumu down and pulled out another paper, glancing at Kai.

"Come here, son. Sit with your old man..."

Susumu waved his hands. He wouldn't actually have him draw for them for free.

Plus, his father would pop a vein.

"No, no! I won't take it. The thrill was payment enough for me! As well as the compliment!" he gushed.

Rarely did he ever show his work for anyone to compliment, either.

The man set the paper down.

"Yes, it was hardly what I had expected when I woke up this morning." he chuckled, reaching in to his pocket.

"I tell you what..." he said after a few moments of thought, "My brother may be looking for someone to help with buying and selling. Would need a man who has a good eye, and since you saw mine..." he said with a sly grin, "would be a little traveling involved and such, but if you're interested, come find me. I'll send word to him." he offered kindly.

His earlier arrogance had irritated him, but the fact he had the skill to back it up and the other side of him he'd just seen, he'd taken an instant liking too him. Which was rare when it came to him and other artists.

They were usually complete assholes.

Susumu stared him.

Him? Working for a gallery?

Something like that would be a dream come true...

But, of course, the family business...it wasn't so simple.

"Thank you. I will..." he said, quickly turning his long face in to a cheekier grin.

"Why don't you keep the pictures? Show them to your brother as a resume..." he joked.

They shook hands and said their goodbyes, Susumu taking Kai's hand again as they wandered back to where he'd left his mother and father earlier.

_Two Weeks Later._

Voltaire slammed his powerful fist on the desk, scaring Susumu out of his skin.

He knew it was coming. But it never did prepare him fully.

He'd agonized over it. Lost sleeps over it.

For the first time in his life, he had another option. He'd never looked for one, but one had found him.

The risk was worth what could be.

"You think I would allow this?! Are you more stupid than I already took you to be?!" his voice bellowed.

Susumu stood tall. His whole life he'd been under his father's thumb. His frivolous efforts to push back had never come to anything. But no more.

"You don't own me, father! My life is mine to live as I choose! You've known for decades that I don't want to run the business! Why do you continue to force me?!"

Voltaire's face snarled.

"Where is your sense of family loyalty?! After everything you've been given! Every privilege!"

"And where is your compassion?!" he fired back, "I never asked for those things! You'd happily let me live as a slave to your beloved company?!"

Voltaire's face burned harder at his ingratitude.

"Slave?! Spare me! It's what you were_** born for**_!"

"I am _not_ some kind of prized hound! I can't stay here any longer and let your act like I am! Like my son is! He deserves to be able to make his own choices as well!"

"_Prized_ hound?! If anything, you were the runt!" he bit viciously, "And are you not ashamed? Your seven year old child has more sense of loyalty than you do!"

Susumu's face hardened.

"Because you've taught him to be like that! You don't let him outside the estate! You keep him prisoner here and drill this nonsense in to his head!"

Voltaire began to shake.

"You honestly have the audacity to act like I'm a monster?! By securing his future!? Your future?! After everything you've ever put me through, I've still held enough love for you to see you're kept out the gutter, and this is how you repay me?!"

Susumu's eyes watered slightly.

"Only because you weren't left with another option, were you?!"

Voltaire's watered back. He knew exactly the direction he was taking this. He'd felt it laying dormant for years, but it had never been said.

He wouldn't allow it to be said now.

"Don't you dare bring your brother in to this...don't you dare!"

But Susumu wanted to say it.

"I will dare! Admit it! If he were still alive, you'd happily toss me out in to the streets! I'd be no use to you, would I?!"

His words struck a powerful nerve, reigniting an old feeling of loss and anger.

"Be honest with me, _papa_...you wish it had been me, don't you!" Susumu continued.

His father let out a pained growl.

"_**Yes!**_" he roared.

Susumu flinched, feeling his heart snap with the final admission.

"He was the son that made me proud! He was the one with his head screwed on! Had promise! And yet he lies buried in the ground and I'm left with _you_!" his booming voice strained. "A boy hiding in the body of a man, one that would toss away generations of hard work and tears, and for what?! To go out and live like some...peasant!? Drawing for loose change in the pockets of those who have some to spare?! That is what would be more appealing to you than what we have?!"

Susumu sucked down his heartbreak.

"It is better than living in the shadow of someone I could never please! Someone who wishes fate had taken _me _instead of my brother! What kind of father are you?!" he strained out roughly.

"And I could ask you the same! You wanting to drag your own son to the gutter with you!" he growled back.

A painful silence fell.

"...Maybe if you let me be a father to him instead of always taking over..." he began, fresh, angry tears reloading in his eyes, "You treat him more like a son than you ever did me!"

"Because I can't afford to have another you!" he stabbed back quickly before he stopped.

He wanted to throw in that he was forever grateful Kai took after his late mother.

But enough ghosts had been used as ammunition tonight.

Enough cruel and poisonous words that would never be taken back.

This whole saga...was enough.

"...You are a man of your own will. I cannot force you to see sense. No matter how hard I try, have tried..." his strong voice slithered out, masking the hurt he felt.

"But just know this. You turn your back on me, there is no coming back..." he threatened.

"...As if I'd want to come back..." Susumu bit back.

Voltaire stayed quiet for a moment. There had to be something he could say, threaten, to make him see.

But, after years of trying, there were no more words. Harsh or otherwise.

"Then on your own head be it...foolish boy..."

Susumu turned. There was nothing left to say.

Or so he thought.

"But over my dead body will you be taking Kai from me!" Voltaire cried back at him furiously, "Your life is your own to ruin, but I cannot let you do that to him!"

His son's shoulders tensed, biting his tongue for what he hoped would be the last time as he left the office. Slamming the door shut.

Voltaire's chest heaved as he continued to shake. His legs going weaker on him as he slumped down in to his chair, putting his heavy head in his hands.

"...Foolish boy..."

Susumu returned to his room, avoiding eye contact with any of the house staff he came across.

It was done.

He'd have to follow through for once, show him he wasn't just talk. A _boy_.

He tried to keep his mind focused enough to pack. What would he need? Like he knew, he'd only ever been away from home for about a week maximum in his life.

Clothes...that he knew.

Money. That was obvious too. He'd take as much cash as he could get his hands on.

But most importantly, Kai.

With a bag packed and ready, he lay waiting. Waiting for the house to fall silent and dark.

When no one could stop him.

He checked the clock. 3am.

It was now or never.

He quietly took hold of his bag and an oil lamp, bidding farewell to the room that had sheltered him all these years, before taking himself down the dark corridors.

Having been born here, he knew every floorboard. Including every one that creaked.

He reached his goal, pushing the door open quietly and slipping in.

The lamp illuminated the sleeping form of his young son. And for a moment, he stayed staring.

Was his father right?

Should he just leave? Go without him?

He couldn't promise him anything. Especially not compared to what his father was offering him.

But what he could offer him was a freedom to choose.

One he always wished he'd had.

He made his choice.

He opened his half filled bag, rooting around for clothes for Kai to take with him.

This was the best option...

His son was bright. He could be anything he wanted. The potential was huge. He just needed to get out of the bubble and find out what it was he wanted to be.

Convinced he had enough to last, he gently reached in to the bed and lifted his small son up, trying not to wake him.

He was unlucky.

Kai's heavy eyelids peeled open, stirring.

"Papa? What are you doing?" his voice droned out croakily.

Susumu panicked, rubbing his back softly in hopes of sending him off again.

"We have to go out is all. Don't worry, I've got it all. You go back to sleep..."

Kai's arms fumbled around his neck, holding on as his head rest on his shoulder, drifting off just as quickly as he'd roused.

Susumu let out a small sigh of relief, picking up the light blanket from the bed and awkwardly trying to drape it over him before he grabbed the bag.

He ignored all the voices in his head telling him not to go through with it. Urging the ones cheering him on to scream louder.

He ghosted the halls with his sleeping son through the still house, taking in every painting, every feature that he wouldn't be seeing again.

He reached the door and once again felt like he'd hit a wall.

This would kill his mother...

He shook himself.

He'd write to her. If not to here at the estate, to the clubs he knew she belonged to.

Maybe, somehow, when the dust had settled and the anger had simmered, he could arrange to see her. Meet her somewhere.

Who knew.

Again, it was now or never.

Reaching for the handle of the large door, he yanked it open. There was a creak, but he doubted it would wake anyone at this time.

Or maybe it would, and they would come and talk him out of it.

The further his footsteps took him from his home, the less likely that seemed. That someone would stop him.

It was a sign.

He was doing the right thing...

* * *

Ray winced as he watched from behind the curtain.

He knew that face. Had seen it many times over the years.

The pale face made paler with white powder, painted with red fins on each cheek scowled as the wave of applause hit.

They'd made his _fucking_ costume tighter.

When he specifically asked for it not to be.

He wasn't a god damn dancing bear...

_He_ was one of the big ones putting bread in everyone's bellies.

The least they could do was show a little appreciation. A little respect!

Well fine, if Boris wasn't going to hear him...

Then he wasn't going to hear Boris.

He took a less than enthusiastic bow before turning and meeting narrowing lilac eyes.

Boris knew that face Had seen it many times over the years.

"...Do the finale, boy..." he grumbled in warning, too far away from him for him to actually hear it.

Kai met his eyes and narrowed his own, snapping his sour face back to the audience, throwing a petulant hand over a pile of burning down coals like he had at the end of every show the past few nights.

He lifted his hand, making the glittering coals transform from mere embers to a blazing flame in a matter of seconds.

Boris let out a victorious yet relieved smirk.

With that face, he thought there'd be another _problem_.

It had taken eight years, but it seemed finally, he'd learned his place.

Kai glared at the awe-struck audience as the tips of the flame licked his palm.

Enough.

He threw his arm back, clenching his hand in to a ball and with it, the fire was reduced to nothing but a tall plume of smoke.

He turned on his heel, storming across the sandy arena and up through the curtain, throwing his glare at the equally menacing looking ringmaster. Leaving the audience blinking and confused.

That was it?

He kept walking.

He'd take the yelling later. But first, he wanted out of this god damn costume...

Boris growled as he watched him go by him.

But time was ticking before he'd lose the crowd.

He pushed it down, painting on his charismatic smile as he ran on to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...I deeply apologize for the swift ending of our_ fiery_ act..." he said remorsefully as he put his hand to his chest, "for safety reasons, our young performer had to stop. We hope you weren't too disappointed..."

The crowd was silent.

Boris threw his head over his shoulder back at the curtain, checking for the nod.

He got it, throwing his head back and his smile back on his face.

"But let us make it up to you with one of our top performances! An act so daring...yet so elegant...I give you...Ray!"

The lights couldn't have dimmed any faster as he stormed back, Ray passing him as he threw him a wary glance.

This wasn't going to be good...

The relief of the crowd's cheers didn't do much to quell his anger as he tore behind the curtain, pushing by anyone who got in his way like a bull trying to get at a red flag.

He threw the dressing room door open, finding his little rebel dressed in his pants, suspenders and shirt, wiping off what little make up that remained on his face.

"I suppose you thought that was awful ballsy, didn't you?!" he growled as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Kai glanced at him through the mirror, going back to wiping his face.

"Not really." he said flatly, "just giving as much as I felt I owed."

Boris snarled.

"You_ owe_ the whole thing every night! It's your job!"

Kai turned in his seat to look at him face on.

"No! I am not your little slave, Boris! I bring you money, _good_ money! The least you could do is let me wear something comfortable!"

Boris' growl became more threatening.

He didn't take kindly to being talked back to.

Which was exactly why he would never budge on anything Kai wanted. Until he behaved right. Which he was still yet to do fully.

The tall man lunged forward, wrapping his large hands around the boy's throat.

"You listen to me...you do not get to negotiate. This circus is mine. Every thing in it is _mine_. That includes _you_." he snarled. "You ought to be grateful for everything I've done for you. Taking you in, out from the gutter, where you would have died like the _runt_ you were..."

Kai covered the fact his heart was racing under a fiery stare.

"Where is your loyalty? Without me, you would be _nothing_." he spat as his grip became tighter around his throat. "All I ask from you is you do what is expected of you! Give them what that _money_ you bring in paid for! An act! That is what you are here for! To entertain! In whatever way _I_ see fit! Is that _**clear**_?!"

Kai finally let out a slight choke, his hold on his throat getting too tight.

"Are you really going to make me repeat myself?" Boris growled as he gripped his fingers tighter.

"Y-yes..." he coughed out. Hating himself for it.

"Yes what?!"

"C-clear..."

No matter how much he pushed. In the end, he always caved.

With the words he was looking for, Boris released his hand from his neck, taking in the dark pink indents in his pale skin.

Kai gasped, running a hand over it himself before he lifted his fiery stare back at him.

Boris threw it right back.

"You really are a slow learner, aren't you? How many times must we have this _conversation_?"

Kai didn't answer, subtly trying to get his breath back.

"Since you're so dim, I will tell you again. I hope this time it sinks in...without that _gift_ of yours, you are absolutely nothing. It's about time you came to terms with it."

Boris turned, walking slowly towards the door.

"And don't think this was all you get, a slap on the wrist..." he said sweetly, throwing his harsh, glinting eyes over his shoulder at him, "You're going to regret doing that...I'll make sure it _never_ happens again..."

As the door fell closed behind him, Kai finally let out his heavy breaths.

He knew it was coming, but that never fully prepared him for it.

Just like he knew he really would pay for that, and nothing would probably prepare him for it.

Was it worth it? The little fights back at him?

He could be like Ray, content with his lot. The big boss' favorite for following orders and fulfilling expectations with perfect execution...

But he wasn't Ray.

He wasn't content.

Nor was he the same person he was when it all began, the one who sat quietly. As expected.

Maybe it was stupid of him to keep fighting back. Getting himself beat over a costume, of all things.

But as the months and the years passed by, the more that image of the soulless bear he'd seen years ago, the one shoved on a platform and made to dance, burned in his mind.

Because as the months and years went by, he was scared that was what he was becoming.

* * *

End of chapter three!

I hope you enjoyed it! I know we didn't see much of the actual circus this time, but they'll be back. I needed to get part of Kai's backstory out. The rest will become clear sooner or later.

As with the manga, if you're familiar with it, Kai's father is a complete knob. I tried to adapt that story in to this 'universe'. But, this time, he had the decency to take Kai with him, I guess? Ahhhh?

Thank you for reading! Would love to know what you thought of it! :)

Hope to see you next chapter!


	4. Good Boy

Hello everyone!

I'm back! Sorry it's been so long! Life has been...well, kind of hectic.

If any one reading this also happens to read anything else of mine, I'm slowly getting there. Please bare with me for updates!

A big thank you to those of you who left a comment on the last chapter! I really do appreciate it immensely!

And of course, thanks to anyone taking the time to read it!

Also a big thanks to Luxah for helping me out with dialogue at the end of the chapter! She did a wonderful job both as Ray and Brooklyn!

AND! OMG THE COVER ART!A big thank you to Luxah for that too! Was a wonderful gift from an artist called Personeh. Look her up on Tumblr!

I'll just get straight to it!

Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Chapter 4 – Good Boy

Crimson eyes cracked open as a cold morning chill made his young muscles tense, stirring him awake.

As he rubbed his eyes and looked around, confusion started to wake along with him.

This wasn't his bedroom...

They were outside?

He was wrapped up and nestled in to his sleeping father's chest, arms wrapped around his neck automatically.

"Papa?" his still sleepy voice croaked, tapping his shoulder.

The faint snoring turned in to a quick snort as his father startled awake, lifting his head and scanning bleary eyed before they focussed on his boy.

"Hn?"

"Where are we?" he groaned a little, still tired.

His father was instantly wide awake.

"In a park..." he told him vaguely.

Kai looked around, not really able to since he'd been swaddled in a blanket.

The sun had risen, but judging by the amount of light, not that long ago.

"But...Why?"

Susumu sat up, cracking his back against the bench he'd selected to sleep on.

He had no idea how long he'd been asleep...he kicked himself.

Sleeping in a park alone with a child was hardly a safe thing to do. He was supposed to be awake and keeping an eye.

"Papa needs to meet someone. He's going to be the ticket to our new adventure." he told him. Again, vaguely.

Kai frowned.

"What adventure?" he asked as he spotted the bags on the side of them on the bench. "How long will we be gone?"

His father stayed quiet.

"...Pap-?"

"Enough questions for now, Kai." he cut off. It was far too early for this. And it wasn't like he had solid answers for him right now anyway. "Why don't you try and get a little more rest, hm?"

Kai did as he was told and remained quiet, taking his father's suggestion as an order and putting his head back down on his shoulder to try and go back to sleep.

A lot easier said than done when you were suddenly in the middle of a park for some unknown reason.

Back in an almost eerie silence, apart from the slight, chilly summer breeze rustling through trees and grass, they sat perfectly still and wordless until early morning strollers began to appear.

Susumu waited a little longer, before the staring from the passers by began to get to him.

He pulled out his watch from his pocket to check the time. Still a little too early perhaps? But on the other hand, not a completely unacceptable hour.

He gently shook Kai awake, not realising the boy was still wide awake anyway and removed the blanket.

His upper body was strained from holding him and carrying him the whole way here. Not to mention the added wait of their luggage.

At least now it was daylight, his son could walk the rest of the way with him.

Balancing the bags in his hands as best as he could, he set them both up to leave their wooden bed for the night behind them.

Kai trotted at his side.

"Will you tell me where we're going now, papa?" he asked. The last few hours of silence almost driving him mad with curiosity.

Susumu looked down.

He may as well give him something...

"We're going back to that circus we went to..."

Kai instantly stopped in his tracks and paled.

He never wanted to go back there with those...monstrous things ever again.

His father took several steps before he noticed, turning back to him.

"Come along."

Kai shook his head.

Susumu sighed, feeling the strain of everything already.

He wandered back over to him, crouching down and softening his composure.

"Why not?"

"I don't like it there..." Kai muttered back.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Susumu's mouth.

"Those clowns won't be there now. They only come at night time." he attempted to comfort, but his son still seemed hesitant.

"I promise, we won't be there long..."

Despite every inch of him not wanting to go, Kai knew he had no real choice in the matter.

His feet dragged against the ground as he forced them to move forward.

He glued himself to his side, his smaller feet working double time to keep up with his father's broader steps.

As they left the park and head down the gradually waking streets of the city, Kai's attention went to the buildings that towered over him. The ones he always admired from the carriage windows on the rare occasion he was taken out. This was the first time in his life he'd ever walked up close to them, getting to see all the little details instead of whizzing by from a distance.

This was an adventure in itself. He wondered where his papa was going to take him.

He continued to look while he followed...and followed...for what felt like an eternity. How much time they'd walked and what distance, he wasn't sure, but enough for his small feet to grow sore and tired.

"Papa..." he whined as his feet started to ache even more.

"We're almost there..." his father reassured, sweat on his brow from lugging the bags the entire way.

Kai pushed down the grumbling and made himself keep going. This wasn't fun at all.

But, on the plus side, it bought a little more time before they arrived at that awful place.

He had that thought a little too soon. His father wasn't kidding when he said they were almost there.

Within minutes, the familiar, bright yellow sign with red lettering he'd seen on his birthday came in to view.

_Salamonsky Circus. _

Only there wasn't a soul in sight.

Susumu dropped the bags down at the entranceway, stretching his back out and glancing around. Did he just walk in, or would that end badly for him? No one was at the ticket booth, naturally.

How else would he find him though? Couldn't just stand here all day. They had to get going...

Leaving the bags where they were on the ground, he took Kai's hand and lead him in to the desolate circus ground.

Kai's hand gripped his tighter and tighter with every step they took. The empty, almost airless circus ground that had been so vibrant and alive when they'd come seemed somewhat chilling.

"Hey!" a gruff, angry yell came, making the pair of them jump out their skin, "Circus is closed until 5pm this evening! Can't you read!?"

Susumu spun around, pushing Kai behind him as a tall, muscular man in a grubby white vest and tattered pants stormed towards him looking less than cordial.

"I-I'm very sorry for the intrusion!" he squeaked out, "I'm not here as a patron, I'm actually looking for someone on busines-."

"You trying to poach one of Mr. Salamonsky's acts?!" the gruff man with a face that held stories yelled at him as he towered over him.

"No! No! Nothing like that!" Susumu denied as he waved his hands, "I'm looking for the artist! The one here for the summer! The Polish man!" he fired out, "He asked me to come find him if I were interested in a job!"

The grizzly man narrowed his bloodshot, brown eyes at him, looking over the clearly soft man and finally getting a glimpse of a scared looking little boy peering from around him.

"And he told you to come today?" he asked, not hiding his slight cruel chuckle.

Susumu blinked.

"Well...no...not today specifically. Just...when I'd made my decision."

The man's smirk finally cracked.

"I'm afraid you took a little too long deliberating, pal..."

Susumu felt his insides dissolve in to an anxious oblivion.

"...What do you mean?"

The smirk stretched further.

"He left about three days ago."

The oblivion grew ever deeper as he froze.

"That can't be..." he muttered, shaking himself, "he said he was here for the whole summer!"

That's what he'd said, wasn't it?!

The tall man shrugged, smirk still present.

"Well...I guess he decided he'd had enough..."

Susumu's head shook harder.

What the _hell_ was he going to do!?

His mind raced. There had to be a way to find him.

"Can you tell me his name?!"

The man let out a sharp laugh of disbelief.

"You came here ready to take a job from a man you don't even know the name of?" he taunted as he took in his nice suit. "You desperate or just stupid?"

"A little of both, apparently!" Susumu yelled in frustration, "Now will you tell me or not!? I have to find him!"

The man turned his back on him.

"He and I never talked. So I don't know..."

Susumu panicked.

"Please! _Please_! I need to find him!" he threw out desperately, throwing out a hand to grab him by the shoulder.

The man snapped his head back round at the touch. Not appreciating it.

He threw the hand off with ease.

"Maybe I need something to help refresh my memory..." he said with a sly tone.

Susumu paled.

He'd taken as much cash as he could get his hands on...but he didn't want to spend anything he didn't have to until he had a steady income coming in.

If it lead him to that steady income though...

He reached in to his pocket and fished out his wallet, taking a few notes and stuffing them in to his hand.

"This make it clearer?" he asked bitterly.

The man counted the notes.

"Ah yes. I just remembered. His name was Pavel."

Susumu's brow twitched.

"And his last name?"

The man gave a plaque filled grin.

"You know...it's a little fuzzy..."

Susumu growled as he shoved a few more notes at him.

A toying chuckle left the other's throat.

"Pretty sure it was Nowakowski."

His brow twitched harder.

"You're _pretty_ _sure_?!"

The man shrugged again.

"I told you, I didn't have much to do with him. Now, if that was all..." he said in a darker tone. He'd had his fun with him and earned himself enough to drink himself stupid for the next little while.

Susumu stiffened. Somehow he didn't trust that was even the guy's name. But what choice did he have now?

It was fine, he told himself. That night he'd said the gallery was in St. Petersburg. He'd just...go there and not rest until he found the brother. He'd have the same last name...if that was even it.

All he knew was he had to get out of Moscow and away from his father's reach. It was done now, he'd burned that bridge. They were probably waking up right now to find him and more importantly, Kai, gone.

They didn't have time to waste. He'd get them on the train to St. Petersburg and go from there. Surely he'd find them. And if that didn't work, surely he would find something to keep their heads above water.

After over an hour more of walking and more cash parted with, they were finally able to sit and rest their blistering feet as the steam hissed and the train jolted forward.

Kai pressed his face and hands against the glass, full of energy all of a sudden.

"Are we going on our adventure now, papa?!" he asked as he saw the outside world pass him by quicker and quicker as the train picked up speed.

Susumu let out a smile and relaxed in to his seat.

There was a bump in the road, but they'd get over it.

Kai's excitement rubbed off on him. Picturing their new life in a new place. Their new start.

He'd be able to wake up and go do something he actually cared about. Something he had chosen.

Kai would go to school and meet people. Find his own interests. Make himself in to whatever he wanted to be.

Who knew? Maybe he'd even find a new mama for him. Someone he chose this time...

Whatever life had in store for them, they were going to be happy. He just knew it.

"Yeh, we are..."

* * *

_**Two months later.**_

"What do you mean no!?" Susumu yelled angrily as he gripped on to the pocket watch in his grime blackened hand.

The clean-shaven older man behind the counter raised an unimpressed brow.

"I told you, sir. I have no demand for a watch like that. We have many like it. I have no need to buy it from you."

His furious expression gradually faded to desperate.

"Please...it's all I have left to sell. If you can't buy it, do you know anyone that would? It's been in my family for four generations! The condition is excellent!"

Kai felt his chest sink as he stood quietly beside him and felt his eyes well up.

He was starving. They didn't eat yesterday. Or the day before that. And today wasn't looking likely either.

They were dirty. They didn't have anywhere to sleep. Most of their things had either been stolen or sold.

The old man pulled his glasses down his nose and inspected it once again.

"I can't deny it's a very fine watch, sir. But I'm afraid there just isn't much of a market for these types of watches any more. People favour the newer wristwatches." he explained with a hint of personal distaste. "I haven't sold a watch like this in some time."

Susumu nodded roughly and snatched it back. That didn't help him or answer his question.

"Well, thanks for nothing, I guess..." he grumbled angrily as he shoved it back in his pocket, dragging Kai out with him.

At this point, Kai knew better than to whine or complain about being hungry, tired or dirty. If he did, it would bring out his father's rare angry side. He didn't want that.

"We'll try one more place. If that doesn't work, I'll see if there's any odd jobs going...if that doesn't work, we'll go to the square and try and sell some sketches..." he said firmly, but with a waver.

That was his plan most days.

And most days it came to nothing.

Rarely did it bring them anything. If they were lucky, enough for some bread. But that was nothing to be sniffed at right now. Both of them were starving.

With no luck at the next jewellery store, they walked the thirty minutes in to town to try and find someone who needed...anything. Windows cleaned, things lifted and carried, fences painted. Whatever anyone needed.

Hours passed.

Nothing.

With the sun starting to fall and bringing the day to a close, the sky began to get gradually darker.

Susumu wondered where the day had gone.

Or where the past two months had gone, for that matter...

What had started off so hopeful had gone downhill so fast...

The money he had brought with him disappeared far quicker than he'd anticipated.

And finding a job wasn't quite as easy as he'd anticipated...especially without a permanent address.

And now, they were reduced to this...

Throwing the bag of what little possessions they had left over his shoulder, he picked up his weak and tired son, mustering everything he had himself to carry him 'home'.

'Home' being a less than sanitary place. The 'other' side of down. Where the drunks and lowlifes roamed and got in to fights nightly. Where women stood in doorways ready to flash their bare chests to lure a man to buy their body for the hour. Where men entered the windowless opium dens and wouldn't be seen emerging until the next morning in a far stranger state than when they had arrived.

Not a place fit for a child.

Not even a place fit for him...

But as chance had it, an older landlady who ran an inn in that area had taken rather a shine to Kai after passing them in the street not two weeks back.

She hadn't even looked at them as she'd passed. She was too busy rummaging around in her bag looking for the damn notebook with the shopping list.

She hadn't noticed something had fallen out.

As she'd given up looking for the stupid list, she felt a tug at her skirt.

Looking down, a young street boy with ruby red eyes and a grubby face looked up at her, holding up her coin purse.

She gasped, quickly taking it from him. How stupid could she have been to let that slip out her bag?

Thanking the little lad, she looked him over. Eyes then travelling to man coming to fetch him.

For a boy and father to be so tattered looking and sitting on the street, why on earth would he have given it back to her? There was enough in there to feed them both for a couple of days...

What a good, honest little boy...

Her heart bled for him and his defeated looking dad. She wanted to give them some money, but she hardly had any spare. She ran an inn. Somewhere with a number of rooms. If she could put them up, she would. But times were hard for her as well...

She wanted to help somehow...she couldn't let the sweet little mite and his papa starve.

For that night, they slept with a roof over their heads.

From then on, she told them that if she had a room that wasn't occupied, she would allow them to sleep there. If she had any food to spare or anything that was left by patrons, she would let them have it in exchange for some odd jobs that she couldn't quite manage at her age.

It had only happened once since the first nigh. Hardly regular occurrence. But the could only hope.

Susumu was glad they had gotten there before the sun had gone down completely, making their way down the now familiar alleyways to the inn to check if they had a bed for the night.

The kind, old lady gave them a sympathetic look as they walked in.

The house was full tonight...

He thanked her, like he did every night. Kai, too. Both of them holding in their disappointment at having to sleep outside again tonight.

Maybe he could set himself up opposite the pub...if he had a shot at selling sketches to anyone, it was going to be drunks.

Three days later, three days that had followed the exact same pattern later, they were in luck.

A patron had checked out early, leaving it open for the night. And a meal that had already been paid for, but not enjoyed.

The kind older lady made sure there was enough for the both of them when she brought up the tray.

That night, Kai was reminded of what chicken and potatoes tasted like.

They thanked God as they heard the heavy wind and rain slamming against the window pane, all while they were both tucked up in a warm bed together safe and dry.

He'd never known a happiness like this. A relief.

He lay and stared at the window while his father's protective arm lay draped over him.

He just couldn't understand it.

Why had they come from the huge house? Where his grandpa and grandma were.

He knew his papa and grandpa didn't get along that well, but surely if grandpa knew they were living like this, he'd forgive him and send for them.

...Or send for them at least.

Either way, he knew he didn't want to do this any more.

His eyes welled up.

"Papa?"

Susumu pulled his eyes away from the window as well, where he'd been lost in his own bleak thoughts.

"Hn?"

Kai's lip quivered.

He knew it would make him angry, but he just couldn't hold it in.

"I want to go home..." he choked.

To his surprise, the arm draped over him pulled him in closer and held him tighter.

Anger didn't come.

Neither did words.

Instead, he heard sniffling from behind him. Something he'd never heard before from his father.

He decided he'd said enough. Staying quietly where he lay and letting his own tears silently fall while his father's sniffling and the rattling of the window filled the room.

That would be the last time they slept with a roof over their head for some time.

Ten days after that night, Susumu sat slumped against a wall, opposite a well frequented bar, pad and paper ready. He still figured he had the most chance with drunks.

He felt nauseous with hunger.

He'd been staring aimlessly at the door of the bar for Lord knows how long, but he'd been staring so intently, he hadn't even realised Kai wasn't with him.

The nausea in him grew as something brought him back down to Earth, looking around before feeling the panic that his son wasn't with him.

"Kai?!" he called out, scrambling himself up as his eyes scanned the mucky street frantically.

"_**Kai!?" **_he cried out again, jogging a few steps one way before turning the other and going that way, unsure where to go and fear making him unable to choose.

"Papa..."

Susumu spun at the weak voice, feeling like he could crumble at the relief.

He ran at him the moment his eyes spotted the dulled silver hair, sinking to his knees and grabbing hold of him.

"What did I tell you?! _Never _go out of my sight like that again!" he scolded harshly, his voice contradicting the tight hold he'd pulled him in to.

"I'm sorry..." the boy cried, shame at disobeying his father and what he'd just done taking over.

Susumu rubbed his back.

"It's all right...you scared me..."

His boy sniffled.

"I did something bad, papa..."

Susumu pulled away from him, lifting his face to make him look at him.

That wasn't like him.

"...What did you do?" he asked in a soft tone.

Kai looked around, making sure no one was looking before he reached under his shirt and pulled out a small loaf of bread.

Susumu's brow lifted.

"Where did you get that?"

Kai averted his eyes from him.

"...I stole it..." he admitted quietly before he lifted his watering eyes to him, "I'm sorry...I know stealing is bad," he choked, "but I'm so hungry and I know you are too!"

Susumu rubbed his face roughly.

In terms of offences, his son had hardly committed a major crime.

But the fact was...because of him, his seven year old son had to commit a petty crime in the first place.

He let out a deep sigh.

"It's all right, Kai..." he tried to comfort, "sometimes, in circumstances, it's all right to break the rules."

Kai wiped his eyes with the back of his tattered sleeve.

"But grandpa always said 'he that will steal an egg will steal an ox'..."

Susumu groaned inwardly.

"Yes...but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. You have to do what you can to get by..." he said, feeling like a horrible person, "you're not bad...you want to survive." he choked too, not wanting to believe he was having this conversation with him.

After a little longer of racking his brain for ways to explain it to him, he managed to convince him he was still a good boy.

They shared the bread. It filled a hole. But it didn't overly stop the guilt.

Two weeks later, the guilt had dulled, but the theft was daily.

No work. For either of them. No luck getting a room at the kind old lady's.

Their possessions were all but gone.

The only thing they had that held any value was the unsellable pocket watch, which now sat deep in Kai's pocket.

Susumu figured if anyone was going to get mugged, it would be him and not the boy.

He also figured if anyone was going to pull off stealing what they needed, it was the boy. Smaller, faster...smaller hands.

What started as bread, fruits and other pocket-sized pinches to keep them from starving became more in a matter of days.

Clothing, coal...

...Money from unsuspecting passers by, so long as Susumu could keep them distracted long enough.

It was an unfortunate night in November when he couldn't quite keep their attention as long as they'd hoped.

Four men, wearing a coat of intoxication that shielded them from the pre-winter chill staggered out the pub together, cackling huskily.

"Gentlemen!" an overly chirpy voice jumped in front of them, "could I trouble you for just a moment?"

Their laughter stopped and focussed their ale goggles on him.

Susumu stopped and squinted at one of them.

"Wha?!..Dmitri? Is that you?!"

The four of them frowned.

"Think you've got the wrong guy, friend. What did you want?"

Susumu continued to study them.

"Really? Because oh my God you look like Dmitri Ivanov...You're not related to him, are ya?"

They all blinked.

"...I'm related to Dmitri Petrov...?"one of them offered with a hiccup.

Susumu's eyes widened.

"Dmitri Petrov!? I know him!" he lied through his teeth, "It's been years! How is the ol' son of a bitch!?" he asked jovially.

The man's face turned grave.

"He's dead."

"Oh..." Susumu's face fell, "No...Not Dmitri...what happened?"

"HEY!" one of the men bellowed, throwing his arm behind him, grabbing hold of a pale wrist and yanking forward a terrified looking boy, throwing him in front of the row of towering men.

Susumu's heart stopped.

"This little runt just tried to pickpocket me!" the larger man hollered and pointed accusingly.

The three others' faces grew menacing to match his.

The large man took a step forward.

"You got any idea what we do to little rats who put their hands on things that don't belong to them...?" he asked as he threw his hand again, grabbing his wrist yet again, "we take their hand..."

Ruby eyes widened in pure fear as his body trembled.

The street lamp above them flickered.

Susumu leapt towards them, trembling himself as he grabbed hold of the large man's wrist and his son's to try and separate them.

"Come on! He's just a boy!" he begged.

The man growled.

"Means he's gonna learn young!"

"Please! He's only doing what I told him to!" Susumu pleaded desperately.

The intoxicated man finally put two and two together, along with the other three.

Their eyes burned as they narrowed.

"...So he's your runt...?"

His face paled before he nodded.

"And you thought you could make an asshole out of me and take from me...?"

Susumu's head rapidly changed direction to a shake, his throat closing up on him.

The hand that had grabbed Kai's wrist flew out and grabbed his closed throat.

The fingers gripped roughly and choked instantly.

"You thought it would be all right to take what was mine? Steal from someone who worked for what they earned while you and baby rat scuttle around the sewers, living off good, hardworking people?"

Susumu tried to shake his head, a hack of air coughing out his mouth as the grip tightened.

"What happens when we see a rat?" he asked in a calm yet raging voice, "We exterminate 'em..." he spat through his teeth as his powerful arm lifted the terrified man off the ground.

The glass case of the street lamp burst as bright orange and yellow flames exploded.

The ear-splitting sound made them all jump out their skin, jerking their heads up as shards of glass rained in sharp fractals on to the ground.

Kai hurled himself at the man's legs, swinging his arms as hard as he could to hit him wherever he could, despite only coming up to his waist.

"Put him down! Leave him alone!" he screeched as he swung.

The large man didn't know where to focus, with his hand choking a man, an explosion of flame above him that had now burned out to nothing and a steam of weak but annoying punches to his thighs and waist.

"Get out of it!" he scolded as he pushed him off with ease with his free hand, "one of you take care of the brat, will you?!"

Another pair of hands grabbed Kai's shoulders and yanked him away from him roughly, while the large man turned and shoved his father against the wall.

The commotion, the fear and the distress seemed to cause a bubble to form around the young boy's head as he watched. A numbing bubble that drowned out all the sound. Shell shocked to white noise.

He stared as he saw the first fist hit his father.

Then the second.

The blood trickle out his nose and painting his face.

The fingers digging in to his own shoulders and hurting.

He was terrified.

They were going to kill his papa.

Maybe him too.

He tried to lunge forward to get to him, only to be dragged back easily.

He lifted his small, pale hands to the ones restraining him.

And with the sound of a startled, pain-filled cry, the bubble burst.

The commotion stopped, and all eyes turned to the unexpected cry.

"He _**burned**_ me!" the man hollered in a shrieking voice with tears in his eyes as he held up his shaking hands, showing the red, blistered, charred skin on the backs of them.

The large man looked him over. He held no fire. Nothing that would cause such damage.

His face grimaced as the small of burned flesh reached his nose.

He growled and turned his attention back to Susumu, heaving and throwing him on to the ground with his son.

Reaching quickly in to his pocket, he pulled out a flip knife, flicking the blade out with a click.

"I'll fuckin' skin the pair of ya!" he snarled as he made his way to them.

Kai had no idea what was controlling him. But his feet moved his petrified body towards the man.

He lifted his own hand, thrusting it at him a mere meter away.

With a sensation in his arm he'd never felt in his life, a stream of flame fired from him, wrapping itself around the leg of the man's pants and taking hold of them with as much force as he had held on his father's neck.

Kai stood paralysed.

With a shrill scream, the man jolted and flailed as the flame bit in to his leg.

His three cronies abandoned their prey, removing their jackets and darting to their comrade's aid.

An arm flung around Kai's body, heaving him off the ground and taking off in to a frantic run.

He stayed motionless and soundless as his father's footsteps and heavy, shaky pants propelled down the dark and damp streets and alleyways.

When he set him down, he had no idea where they were.

His father crouched in front of him, throat dry and gasping to refill his lung as his hands flew out to grab his shoulders.

"What did you do?!" he demanded to know in a croaky voice with terror in his eyes.

Kai shook his head and stayed silent.

The hands holding his shoulders gripped harder as the scared eyes became angry, shaking him roughly.

"Answer me! What did you do back there?!"

Kai's lip quivered.

"I don't know!" he yelled back honestly.

Susumu studied his face.

How was that possible?

His son had never so much as struck a match. How had he managed it?

They didn't own anything that was even flammable.

Was it something to do with that lamp that burst over him?

No...it couldn't have. It burned out before the guy even hit him...

Right?

It all happened so fast...

But he knew what he saw. It just came out of nowhere.

His boy held out his hand and fire had come out.

He'd somehow burned holes in both that guys' hands...

He got snapped out his own shock and wonder by deep sobs.

"I don't know what I did!"

Susumu grabbed him and pulled him in close.

Hell, he didn't know what he did either.

But right now, really, who gave a shit?

There had to be some logical explanation.

But the important thing was, they were safe.

That could have ended so badly...for both of them.

And it would have been his fault...

Just like all of this was his fault.

Three more days passed.

They didn't talk about it.

Susumu watched him carefully, both curious and scared that he would do it again.

As the twilight of the late November day appeared, the two sat slumped against a wall with a sketchpad as always...just now on another side of town to avoid running in to those men again.

The footsteps of the passers by clipped and clopped to the point where neither of them really even took it in any more. Their dull eyes sitting in their sunken faces with equally dull skin staring at the pavement.

One foot stopped. And then another. Turning towards them.

They both raised their heads and frowned.

Staring down at them with a small smile was...an oriental man?

Susumu sat himself up and looked him over.

He was in a decent suit. Not rich, not poor by the look of it.

He wanted a sketch?

"Yes?"

The man's smile grew a little.

"You gentlemen wouldn't be hungry, would you?" his accented voice asked.

Susumu and Kai looked at each other.

Within ten minutes, they walked in to a place they'd never been. The smell of...something magical happening in the kitchen hitting them in the faces as they walked in.

The Asian man bowed at the staff.

"Is Mr. Vasiliev here?" he asked as his two guests looked around.

With a nod, the man working excused himself, a different man appearing not long later.

The Asian man spoke in hushed tones to him, glancing back every now and then at his guests, shifting where they stood at the peculiar situation.

The man looked to them and smiled, kneeling down to the boy.

"Why don't you come with me, young man? You look like you could use a good feed. Why don't we get you something to eat while my friend and your daddy talk?"

Kai's head shot up to his father, scared.

After the other night, he didn't want to be away from him for a second.

Susumu frowned.

What the hell was this?!

Only one way to find out...

"It's all right Kai, you go ahead. I'll be right here." he told him softly.

Flinching at the white gloved hand on his back, the man from...the restaurant? Or whatever this place was, lead him away, leaving Susumu with the other mystery.

"Shall we?" the Asian man said with his ever present smile and gestured for him to follow.

Curiously, he followed. Walking by a large dining room of sorts with several tables. Suddenly feeling both starving and embarrassed at how...homeless he looked with all these fine people around.

Luckily, he was lead in to another room.

One table.

Away from the civilised people.

They sat, looking around at the paintings on the walls. The flowers in the vases. The patterns on the wall paper.

His heart ached.

This reminded him of the drawing room back in his father's estate...

"Bread?"

His eyes came back to the strange man, holding a plate with a selection of breads on it.

Despite wanting to rip it out his hands and inhale it all, despite the way he looked and how he'd lived recently, the upper-class gentlemen was in him somewhere.

"Thank you..." he said with a nod as he took _one_.

"I suppose you're wondering who I am." the man smiled even more, "forgive me for leaving it this long to introduce myself, I wanted to wait until we had some privacy. My name is Bo Kon."

Susumu cocked his head.

"Real Russian name..."

Bo arched an amused brow.

"Says the man who named his son 'Kai'? Hardly a name I've heard in this country before..."

Susumu smirked at him.

"Touché."

He got a quiet snicker back.

"But you're quite right. I hail from China. I've lived here for some time...but if my Russian is a little off, you'll have to forgive me."

Susumu nodded at him, taking a bite of bread and waited for the explanation to come.

Oh god, it was like tasting heaven...

Bo's eyes smiled to match his face, noticing how much he was enjoying the bread.

He was excited to see what face he'd pull at the beef he'd taken the liberty of ordering for them.

"Anyway...I realise this is out of the blue, but I'm here to make you a bit of a delicate offer..."

Susumu swallowed and frowned hard.

"Oh?"

The other nodded.

"Yes. But first, why don't we fill our stomach's, hm?"

It wasn't long before the plates of hot food were brought in.

He fought hard. Keeping every urge to throw down the cutlery and eat with his hands and face like a wild animal.

With a belly full and a contentment he hadn't felt in a long time, the sparkling clean plates were cleared.

"I take it that was to your liking?" Bo asked, amused.

Susumu nodded.

In all honesty, it could have been crap on a plate, but would have been divine.

"Good. I'm glad..." he offered before a brief silence.

"Now...if I may. About that offer..."

Susumu looked at him.

"Yes...I don't know what it is you think I can offer you?"

For once, the smile dropped.

He cleared his throat.

"Well...my boss heard a rumour. I wonder if you could clarify."

Susumu arched a brow.

"...We heard that during an unfortunate scuffle, your son produced fire out of...thin air?"

His blood turned to ice.

Was this man from the police or something?!

"What's it to you!?" he asked gruffly as he went to stand himself up.

Bo raised his hands gently.

"Please. There's no need to fear. Just hear my boss's offer. If you decline, I shall leave."

Susumu stared, min struggling between wanting to know and wanting to run.

He sat.

A few hours later, Kai looked up as the door opened, relieved beyond words when his father walked through.

"Papa! You were gone for hours!" he scolded huffily at him.

"Sorry..." he half smiled at him, giving a nod to the young lady who was watching him as she excused herself quickly, "you get something to eat?"

Kai's face beamed.

"Yeh! They said you were having lunch with the man! I got beef! What did you get!?"

Susumu's heart burned for several reasons.

One being he hadn't seen his son look or sound that thrilled in a long time.

"Me too! Lucky, huh?"

Kai nodded.

"What did you and the weird man talk about?"

Susumu's heart burned even more.

"Just...just some grown up stuff. But listen to this! We get to stay here tonight! Maybe even tomorrow, too! I have to think some things over and he's letting both of us stay here. We can finally take a bath and get our clothes washed!"

"Really!?" Kai yelled, trying to remember the feeling of a bed. Or a bath.

"Mmhmm! Wanna go up to our room?"

They both all but ran.

The room was warm and cosy. The bed plush and spacious. More than enough for the two of them.

They ran a hot bath, taking the robes that were laid out on the bed and sending their filthy clothes down to be cleaned.

The water was a little too hot, but neither of them cared. They ignored the ever so slight scalding in favor of focussing on the floral smelling soap washing away the weeks of caked on dirt and grime.

Getting out, they pulled the plug, watching the grey water disappear down the drain.

Throwing a fluffy towel over Kai's head, he gently but roughly rubbed it over his hair to help him dry it, removing it to show a ball of wild silver and blue fluff, making him burst out laughing.

It wouldn't last. But for now, this present moment, everything felt normal.

Even though it was anything from it.

They felt like kings a few hours later when the young lady who had taken care of Kai before brought up trays of yet more home cooked food. Fish this time.

They snuggled down in to the soft, warm bed and slept more soundly than they both had in a while.

The following morning, they were brought up breakfast. Their clothes returned to them, folded and clean. A few stains they couldn't get out, but to them they were like new.

After a little exploring of the fancy inn they found themselves staying in, they came across a small, modest library.

They stayed in there the entire morning, through til lunch where they ate yet again, and back again dinner.

Kai hopped between books, unable to settle on just one.

Who knew when he'd get the chance to read again?

His teacher told him he was an advanced reader for his age...he didn't want to lose that.

While in the mean time, Susumu sat in a soft chair, book open in his lap that was and would remain completely ignored.

He had too much to consider.

He glanced over at his son, laying on his belly, kicking his legs while nose deep in a book he doubted he could read all that well.

God, he loved him.

This was what he should have...

Not what he'd been giving him.

When Kai finally grew tired, they went back up to their room.

"Do we have to leave in the morning?" Kai asked sadly as he sat cross legged on the bed.

Susumu shrugged awkwardly.

"I'm not sure...it depends..."

Kai yawned.

"On if you make your mind up on the grown up stuff?"

"Yeh..."

"And have you?"

Susumu tensed.

"Well...you see...it's not that easy..." his voice broke.

Kai's head tilted.

"Why not?"

Susumu's throat closed up on him. Like it had done all day.

"Because..." he stuttered, mind scrambling for something, anything to tell him.

He gave up.

"It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out."

Kai nodded. And Susumu was glad he was satisfied with that, not asking any more questions.

They settled in to bed. Once again, his father's arm draping over him and pulling him in to him.

"You know I love you, don't you?"

"Yes, papa." he answered automatically.

The grip got tighter.

"You know anything I've done, or do, is because I want what's best for you..."

Kai tensed.

Surely it would be best for him, and his father, to just go home?

"...Yes, papa."

"Good...good..."

There was a slight pause. And then a sniff.

"...Do you hate me?" his voice wobbled.

Kai felt a cold prickle.

No, he didn't. Of course he didn't.

He always adored his father.

...Wished he'd just do as he was told for grandpa, but nevertheless he was a good man.

His best friend.

Not that he had any others.

Always there for him to protect him.

Be it clowns, scary drunk people...

But he couldn't help but feel angry.

Frustrated.

_Why_ didn't they just go home?

But again, he didn't want to make him angry. Or upset.

"No, papa...don't worry. I love you, too."

The sniffling eventually calmed. And Kai eventually managed to drift off to sleep.

But sleep wasn't something that gifted them both...

Susumu lay wide awake, plagued with anguish.

…Guaranteed shelter, food and education and a percentage of profits placed in to a savings account until he reached the age of sixteen.

Travel.

A full wage if he decided to stay beyond the age of sixteen.

But...a circus?

He weighed up his options.

Send him home, where he'd spend his life a prisoner.

Stay with him, where he'd probably die within the year unless something miraculous happened.

Or send him to somewhere that would provide him with what he needed until he was old enough to make his own choices...which was the whole point of this.

….This was the point of all of this.

Even if it was a huge mistake.

His mistake.

He'd taken a gamble and it hadn't paid off.

But now the question remained. Did he dare take another roll of the dice?

Especially when the stake was his son's future...

Crimson eyes snapped open as the cold night chill and movement stirred him awake.

He came to quickly, as he felt himself getting lifted in to a carriage.

He was wide awake when he saw the Asian man take hold of him and lift him the rest of the way in.

"Papa?!" he screamed desperately as he looked around urgently, struggling in the strong arms.

He managed to turn himself to see the red, tear stained face of his father, looking back at him with a million shades of remorse.

"I'm sorry, Kai!" he heaved at him like a wounded animal.

"Papa!" he cried back, struggling with everything he had, "What are you doing?! Take me back!"

"I'm sorry! This is all my fault!"

The carriage door slammed shut.

"Papa!"

A muffled and desperate "I'm sorry Kai!" filtered through the door as the boy screamed and kicked, bursting in to distressed tears as the wheels quickly started to move.

He scrambled out of the man's now loosened grip and hurled himself at the small, oval window to look out the back, pressing his hands and face to it as he watched his father fall to his knees and get smaller as the carriage picked up speed.

He let out an ear piercing cry.

Bo shifted away from him, his heart breaking.

He figured it was best to let the lad get it all out his system before he met Boris.

Boris didn't like criers.

* * *

Ray carefully peeled the fabric back at the doorway of their tent, his other hand making sure Driger was behind him.

With the small but bright glow of the oil lamp, he made out his shape laying on his bed, arms behind his head.

"Hey..." he greeted softly.

He felt the crimson eyes stab him and the scowl deepen, despite not being overly visible.

"Hn..."

Ray frowned. Of course that was going to be his response.

He let himself slip in to the tent,

Driger ignoring his order to stay outside until he'd softened him up a bit.

The large feline wasn't intimidated by the fiery cub. And he wanted to lay down after exerting himself during the performance tonight.

Ray sighed, watching his companion hop on to his bed and flop down, paws hanging just over the side as his eyes looked around lazily, blinking slowly and sleepily.

"You want to tell me what that was all about tonight?" he asked in a sterner voice.

Cutting the show early as a middle finger was a dumb move...a really dumb move. He knew Kai was smarter than that.

Kai pulled the leg that was crossed over his knee back down to the bed and switched to the other one, shifting irritably.

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Ray. It's not your problem." his husky voice bit.

"No, you don't. But I know you're smarter than what you did tonight. Why do you keep doing this, when you know it gets you in trouble in the end?" Ray asked, taking himself to sit on the floor with his back to his own bed. Petting Driger's paw that was left to hang over the edge of it by his shoulder.

Kai kept his eyes up to the ceiling, but his face got harder. "You mean why don't I start being a good little boy like you and do everything master says?"

Ray narrowed his eyes at him. Here we go again...

"If being a 'good little boy' saves me from getting strangled, I'd rather do that." He bit back. Even in the dimly lit room, he hadn't missed the purple marks blossoming on Kai's throat when he'd come in.

Kai finally moved his head and pierced him with his eyes.

"That's you then. I'd rather take the beating..." he spat back stubbornly.

"Why do that to yourself?" Ray asked as he shook his head in annoyance, "If you think you're going to wear him down, you're not. It's just going to get worse. The costumes will get tighter, eventually he might start taking away your food. All for what? Really?" he asked in another, tired, huff. He was so tired of seeing Kai do this to himself. Why couldn't he get the hint? Just obey Boris and do what he wanted? He knew this was hardly a life glitz and glamour, but surely taking a beating for being disobedient wasn't as great as just doing the act and calling it a night. Why make things hard for yourself when you don't have to?

Kai sat himself up, fired up.

"How about for self respect!? You know what that is,_ tiger boy_?" he jabbed sarcastically.

Ray's face barely reacted to his outburst, he was used to this...

"You can try and tell me I don't have any, but I do. When you live like this for all your life you get used to being ordered around. Its not like I've never come in to contact with Boris' fist, but guess what? I learned my place real quick, I don't see why that's still so hard for you to do!"

Kai rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh...spare me! You've been here a few more years than I have! Didn't even get you performing until you lost your puppy fat and that fuckin' _thing_ got too big to be 'cute'." he spat, giving a sharp not at the tiger on the bed.

Ray looked back at Driger, "What're you talking about? He's always been cute." He said fondly as he pat Driger's large paw, letting his head fall back to look at the raging teen opposite of him. "Fine, I don't even know why I bother trying to talk some sense into you. Clearly the beatings are the only thing that will get it into your head."

Kai sniffed. "Neither do I. Keep your damn opinions to yourself. I don't force my opinions on you...like how you should cull that thing for fur." he stabbed as he shot a glare at the tiger, getting him an annoyed chuff back from the animal.

Ray scowled. "Why don't you go play in a lake or something? Or have Mariam lock you in her tank for a few hours." He snapped back with his eyes narrowing.

Kai returned the sour face. "Why would I go anywhere near that tramp? More chance of catching fleas from her than your pet."

"Because you need to cool down! I was just trying to help here because you keep doing this to yourself. It's stupid Kai, _you're_ being stupid." Ray shot back.

Kai had enough. Not this conversation again...

He stood himself up from the bed. "I do _not _need your help, Ray! How many times?! I'd rather be 'stupid' than pathetic! All you've ever done is mindlessly go along with anything he says or commands! And for what!? So you don't make any waves? You'd better hope that...animal has a long and healthy life, because guaranteed the moment anything happens to him, you'll be out on your ass and this place will keep ticking on like you were never even here!"

Rei tensed.

"I'm not going to worry about the future here, it'll do me no good in the end to worry about what will happen in a years time or even ten from now. What I have right now is good enough for me, so I don't really care for what will happen to me once my time here is done with."

Kai's eyes began to burn as he stepped close to him. "And you call me stupid? You think you'll be able to walk around outside with a damn tiger? They'll have him _shot_ and skinned within minutes...hopefully..." he let out cruelly with a smirk. "And you? You think anyone is going to hire an ex circus freak? Has no other skills than swinging around poles? You know what they do to easy targets like you down in the gutter? Ask my father..." he added coldly, "So aren't you lucky...you're going to spend your life dancing on cue until you can't dance any more and be thrown to the wolves...and you're content with that..." he spat in disgust as he towered over him, looking down at him with blazing eyes.

All Ray could do was stare at him, feeling the time passing, unable to think of any kind of response. Kai often said cruel and unwanted things, but he had never been that mean to him before. He stayed on the floor, petting Driger's large paw for a minute while he looked away from the other towering over him.

Still unable to think of anything to say back to all of that, he thought of something better.

With a swift and clean sweep, he swung his leg skilfully, taking Kai's feet out from under him.

The stern, fiery and cruel look on his pale face vanished as his body quickly met the rough floor with a thud.

As he registered what happened, and the pain of hitting the hard ground set in, Ray could only hear Driger's deep chuckling in his mind, causing him to give a big, toothy smirk.

Which Kai didn't take too kindly to.

He heaved himself up, throwing his hand out and grabbing the scruff of Ray's shirt, yanking him towards him so their faces were so close, they could feel the other's breaths on them.

The laughter stopped in his mind in an instant, as instead a warning, thundering growl filled the room.

Kai glanced between them, unable to choose which one to inflict his rage on first.

His red eyes glanced at Driger as his snout scrunched to reveal threatening fangs.

Kai let out his own growl.

He'd had it. With all of them.

But especially this fucking _animal_.

He wasn't scared of him!

He pushed Ray back and released his grip on his shirt, jumping himself back up to his feet as he threw his hand out to the candle at his bedside.

The flame came off the wick. It doubled, tripled in size as it propelled it's way from one side of the room to the other and hung blaring between it's wielder and the startled, threatened beast.

"Hey!" Ray cried in a panic at him over the sound of Driger's growls and the roaring flames, dragging himself up off the floor.

Kai wouldn't really do anything to Driger

...Would he?

"Kai, stop! He's not going to do anything! He just wanted you to let go of me!" he pleaded as he held his hands up.

"I'm sorry, all right?! I just don't want to see anything bad happen to you!"

Kai glanced from the cat, to Ray. Ray to the cat and snarled.

He closed his fist, extinguishing the flame and staring them both down.

"I want that fucking animal out my tent when I get back..." he spat as he walked by Ray, knocking him with his shoulder as he went.

Ray sighed as he watched him disappear behind the green fabric and turned to look at Driger, laying back down as if nothing had happened.

"...Can't you two just get along!?" he snapped.

"_Heh...could say the same about you two!" _his deep voice rang in his mind while a chuff left the tiger's real throat in amusement.

Ray rolled his eyes.

"Maybe we would if you stopped getting on his nerves!"

"_And where would the fun in that be?"_

Ray opened his mouth to lecture a little more, but his friend had rolled over, making himself comfortable and signifying he was done.

Brooklyn startled as the beads hanging in the doorway of his tent rustled harshly, lifting his head to see a familiar face storming in without a word with a face like thunder.

His teal eyes followed him in surprise, curiosity and slight amusement as he watched him muttering to himself, his eyes sharp as knives that scanned the area while not acknowledging his existence.

He saw him locate what he was after, lunging forward and grabbing the wooden box from the floor and stomping to his favorite floor cushion. He slumped down in to it, kicking his legs over the plushy side as he rested the box on his stomach, opening up his relief.

Brooklyn rested his chin on his hand and traced patterns on the hideous crystal ball with his other finger, eyes smiling.

"Hello..." he said with a serene and entertained voice.

"Hn. Hi." he grunted back, ripping a piece of rolling tobacco out from the pack.

"No, by all means. Make yourself at home." Brooklyn joked in a calm, airy, tone as he watched him while lazily drawing on the crystal ball. "Anything I can help you with tonight?" He added, not taking his eyes off of him.

"If you were any kind of host you'd get your guest a drink. Your finest vodka, if you would be so kind..." he said dryly as his eyes remained on the cigarette he was rolling.

Brooklyn smirked, more to himself than Kai, as he rolled back from the table on his pillow and rummaged through the trunk he could reach behind him. It wasn't long till he had what Kai asked for, placing it in front of himself away from Kai as he settled down more into his pillow. "Penny for your thoughts first?" He continued in that calm tone, already taking a few guesses on what had happened that brought Kai storming into his tent this late at night.

Kai licked the edge of the paper, flattening it down and looking over it. Perfection... He finally glanced over at Brooklyn. Catching he wasn't just giving it to him and frowning. "This place is one of the rungs of hell." he spat bluntly before holding his hand out expectantly.

"What else is new?" Brooklyn asked as his teal eyes moved to the hand and back up into the fiery crimson before smirking a little, "C'mon now, that's not the only reason you're here. The cat giving you troubles again?"

"Cats...plural, not singular." he corrected with a bite, "and that prick of an uncle of yours." he bit harder, moving his hand harder to get him to hand it over.

Brooklyn poured him a small shot for his efforts, handing it over and letting him get it down. "Which would you like to discuss first?" He asked with an amused look on his face, this was nothing new and for that he was grateful.

Kai let out an ever so slight cough at the alcohol burning and drying his throat. "I didn't come here to discuss it." he said as he slid the glass back across the table at him to refill, "you know me better then that..." he said in a lighter tone, bringing his hand up and moving his finger in a beckoning motion. The flame of the candle beside Brooklyn separating, half of which floated over to him while he placed the cigarette lovingly between his lips and waited for them to connect. As he rubbed his fingers together to put out the flame, he took a strong inhale and made an ecstatic face. This was the good stuff...

"I do, which is why I'm slightly offended you like to just take my things and put your muddy shoes all over my pillows." Brooklyn said in a fake saddened tone, the small smirk on his lips staying as he watched his companion work his magic to light his cigarette. "We'll start with the cats first, what did the fur ball do this time?" He chose his two topics carefully, half wanting to avoid them discussing his uncle in any way.

Kai lifted his head as he exhaled, checking his boots over. Oh...they weren't that clean... He threw his legs over and swivelled himself round to the middle, setting his feet on the floor as he slid down, making himself very comfortable. "My apologies...and Ray decided to preach to me about behaving myself. Turn myself in to a model citizen of our incestuous little community..." he spat out, "I told him where to shove it, words may have gotten somewhat heated and the other fleabag got upset. Growled and tried to scare me...so I may have flashed a flame at him..." he explained very vaguely, omitting some aspects of the events that had not long ago transpired.

Like how Ray had put him on his ass.

"Well now, that is something." Brooklyn mused as he poured Kai another small shot and tapped the glass along the table to him. "Of course he would be the one to say things like that, he should have known better than to say anything to you at all."

Kai arched a brow in agreement. Sometimes he felt like he and Ray almost had a relationship like he had with Driger. Somehow knew what was going through the other's mind. And yet other times he wondered if Ray knew him at all. Or if he knew him. "It is _so_ frustrating...watching him try and kiss Boris' ass all the time. Be the teacher's pet and then judge me and talk down to me because I won't!"

"What do you expect him to do then Kai? You can step out of line, time and time again, and the only one that pays the price is yourself. Ray has that big fur ball to consider if he steps out, right?" Brooklyn questioned in a slight chuckle, he never got tired of watching Kai fit about his roommate. "Though I am concerned about that mark on your neck, so maybe there's some truth to what Ray might have said to you tonight?" He added, his eyes almost locked on the marks on Kai's pale neck.

In return, Kai glared as he inhaled roughly, quickly blowing it out and standing himself. "I didn't come here for another damn lecture..." he snapped.

Brooklyn raised his hands defensively, "I meant no harm. It's just an observation, Kai. Sit down and I'll pour you another drink." He gestured at the pillow Kai had risen from, getting his glass and pouring a bit more into the cup this time than the last.

Kai eyed Brooklyn and then the glass, letting the cigarette dangle between his fingers before he slowly settled himself down again, reaching over and taking the glass, throwing it back. That burn...always felt good. "Your psychopathic relative choked me."

A flash of darkness spread along Brooklyn's face, it disappearing as quickly as it had appeared as he stood himself up and walked around the table. Kneeling down in front of him, tilting his head back gently to get a better look at the mark. "Why?" He asked in a darker tone.

Kai let his pale hand stay there, tilting his head up. This way he didn't have to look at him. "He purposefully did something to piss me off, I pissed him off in return..." he answered vaguely again.

"And was it worth it?" Brooklyn chuckled, checking the mark one last time before letting Kai's chin go and sat back from him.

"Hn..." he smirked, "was for me, getting under his skin like that...he's not going to damage me enough so I can't perform. Would lose him too much cash."

"That is true, but a wise man picks and chooses his battles Kai. He might not damage you to where you can't perform, but don't test him too badly." Brooklyn cautioned, hoping not to rile him up again for telling him how to behave. "Am I to assume this was what got Ray's tail all twisted?"

Kai nodded as he took in another blissful inhale. "Well...then he ought to stop testing me...I specifically said I didn't want it tight..." he muttered.

"Would you like me to talk to him?" he offered.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Oh yeh. Like that would do anything..." he joked.

Brooklyn shrugged, "Being his nephew gives me certain privileges, but only if you want me to. Maybe if you do tomorrow's performance well enough, I can get him to agree."

Kai arched a playful brow. "That would make me a good little boy, wouldn't it?"

"Just for a night, what could it hurt aside from your pride?" Brooklyn chuckled back, "Unless you want to be in that tight costume of yours."

Kai shuddered. "I'm pretty sure the people in the front rows could see my shame through it..."

Brooklyn fought a smirk, if he got his uncle to agree in changing Kai's costume he was going to miss seeing his shame. "Then would you like me to do this for you or not?"

Kai's playful brow came back, holding out his pale hand. "That depends...how does the outcome look?" he asked in a smooth voice as he blew out his smoke softly in Brooklyn's direction.

"Not tonight, I'm tired from a long day." Brooklyn smirked a little at him, pushing up on his knees to take himself away from him and back to his own pillow on the other side of the table.

Kai blinked. Since when did Brooklyn refuse him? Part of him did really want to know...if it was just the once he had to suck up to get something that didn't cling to his skin, he'd let him talk to him.

_Now_ he was playing hard to get with his foresight? Whatever...he knew how to wrap him around his finger...

Kai stubbed the cigarette out, crawling his way over to him.

"Oh, come on..." he said with a huskier, pleading voice.

Brooklyn met his eyes, holding them as he crawled towards him. His skin pricking at the sound of Kai's voice but kept his hands to himself. Did he really think he was that easy? The boy had some learning to do. "Now whose wanting who to be a 'good little boy'?" He asked in his own, dry, husky tone. Ignoring him while he poured himself a little vodka and throwing it back.

Kai crawled himself closer to him. "It's just one little touch..." he said innocently.

"One little touch that can do a lot of damage." Brooklyn's smirk took over the width of his mouth, "What do I get out of this, seeing as you always like to take from me and yet I get nothing in return?" He met him halfway, leaning forward towards him slightly.

Kai's face faltered for a moment. How far would he take this? He placed his own little smirk on his face. "What could I possibly have to offer you?"

Brooklyn subtly licked his lips, "You tell me."

The smirk fell before he could stop it. Was he really going to cross that line with one of his very few allies to get looser pants? Fear of becoming a dancing bear for Boris was one thing, becoming one of these lowlifes that fucked their round the camp was another. He straightened himself up, waving a hand over the candle and flipping it palm up, holding the flame out to him.

"Unlimited heat in the winter?"

Brooklyn belted out a laugh, "Oh please." He waved his hand in the air, leaning away from him to rest back on the palms of his hands into his pillow. "Are you really that curious to know?"

Kai closed his hand in to a fist, putting out the flame. "You know I won't do anything for Boris unless I can guarantee it's worth my while..."

"Very well then." Brooklyn huffed as he held up his right hand between them, "Knock yourself out."

Kai smiled almost victoriously as he moved forward, placing his palm against Brooklyn's and pressing their hands together.

As usual, Brooklyn's eyes glazed over for a spilt second before the clear teal came back.

Kai waited.

"...Well?"

Brooklyn blinked a few times, holding in the envy at some details he'd seen.

He weighed up his options at what to tell him.

He did want to help him, after all.

Those little details could probably be averted in other ways...

"I'll talk to him tomorrow..." he answered with a small, ever serene smile.

Kai blinked.

"...He's going to be a decent human being for once?"

Brooklyn's small smile turned in to a smirk.

"Depends..."

"...on what?"

"On if you're a good boy or not."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"...Shut up and pour me another."

Brooklyn snorted, picking up the bottle and doing as he was told.

Whatever made him happy...

* * *

End of chapter 4!

I really hope you enjoyed it. I know a bunch of things weren't super detailed or explained in the 'flashback', but it's meant to be that way.

Yes, I know, Susumu is a complete and utter idiot. Inspired by his stupidity and appalling parental skills in the manga.

I'd love to know what you thought! Any comments would be really appreciated! Always good to know if readers are liking it or not!

I'm hoping there won't be as big of a gap for the next chapter, but we'll see! Bare with me!

Until the next chapter, thanks for reading and take care! :)


	5. The Ringmaster

Hi all!

So sorry it's taken a long time to get the next chapter up. I think it's safe to say due to my work load and stuff, updates for this story as well as my others will become a little less regular. But I will do my best to get them updated as fast as I can!

Big thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and those who left comments, really appreciate it!

I hope you enjoy the chapter! Here we go.

* * *

Chapter 5 – The Ringmaster

As the wheels of the carriage rolled over the hard road and the sound of hooves clacked endlessly through his ear drums, Bo sat with a mild headache.

His strong and calloused hand rest on the new boy's back, who had now tired himself out and lay on the plush cushioning of the seat curled up, his cheek pressed in to it.

The poor lad's eyes were puffy and red, his chest still hiccuping as he slept less than soundly.

He wished Boris wouldn't send him to get them. It left him riddled in guilt and heartache.

This was the third one. And hopefully the third time was the charm and he wouldn't have to do this again.

On the other hand, it was probably for the best that it was him who came to collect them.

The three young ones already had to go through the trauma of being sold, the least they could be offered was a face that knew genuine empathy to take them there.

He let out his own tired sigh, the headache niggling evergmore inside his temples.

Was this a worse fate than what he had uprooted them from?

The girl had come from a 'home' in the forest, in the middle of nowhere. Her mother being somewhat unstable and convinced she was a goddess of nature, having produced such a daughter.

Because of her, Mariam and the four younger, 'normal' siblings were forced to live like savages in the wild.

His little tiger had been ripped from his home and treated like an animal.

And this one was living on the streets, starving along with his father.

How long would it have been before one of them perished?

Either his father enduring the unimaginable grief of losing a child.

Or the boy being left to fend by himself for as long as he could until something inevitably got him.

At the sound of another hiccup, he moved his hand to rub gentle circles on the boy's back to try and soothe him.

Lord knows he was going to need to soak up all the comfort he could get while he could.

Once they entered the circus, it wouldn't be so easy to come by...

A few hours after the dawn broke on that morning, lilac eyes that sat on a backdrop of slight yellow stared impatiently as he eyed his small colony of freaks dragging their feet as they went about their morning chores. Their skin either pale or a little grey looking without the cover of make up, lights and costume.

He breathed out a plume of smoke, some of it stinging his eyes as he frowned, adding to the ever deeper growing wrinkle that was forming there.

This was taking too long.

How long could it possibly take to retrieve the street rat?

He'd received the word that the father had agreed to his offer.

According to the map in his mind, they should be arriving any time this morning.

Bo wasn't one to keep him waiting.

"Uncle Boris?"

His eyes lazily looked down to the side of him at his nephew as he moved his tobacco stained fingers away from his lips.

"Hm?" he replied gruffly.

"I finished sweeping the stands..."

"Good. And?"

The teal eyes looked up at him through a mop of orange hair and pouted.

"Do I get to keep my room or not?"

Boris held his straight face for a moment before he cracked and let out a deep, amused chuckle.

After a slight episode of backchat from his almost ten year old nephew, he threatened to move the new attraction in to his beloved safe space.

It worked perfectly. The bellyaching had stopped instantly and he'd been going out of his way to earn himself brownie points. Taking on extra chores was one.

"Well...I suppose if Marta were to receive a little assistance with the kitchen cleaning, perhaps I would be more inclined to assign him to Ray..."

He smugly side glanced to see the slim, pale boy twitch.

"Yes sir..." he growled out as he turned on his heel and began to walk off in a huff.

Boris took half a drag before he turned his head back to him, a rapid change of heart.

"Brooklyn?"

The boy stopped immediately and looked over his shoulder back at him.

"As a matter of fact, I have another favor to ask..." his raspy voice let out softly as he held out his hand. "I don't suppose you would be a good boy and tell me when we're to expect the arrival of our newest member?"

Brooklyn fought a sigh. He'd whine, but right now he didn't want a pipsqueak 'baby brother' in his room.

It hadn't been overly long since his gift had blossomed. Only the past eighteen months. Long enough to get used to it and understanding it, but not long enough to be used to people constantly asking him things.

He didn't like being bothered. He liked quiet.

He kicked up dust as he dragged his feet back over to his towering uncle, doing as he asked and placing his hand over his.

His teal eyes set in his bored face hazed over for a moment before he pulled his hand away, blinking.

"...Well?" the man asked impatiently.

The expression on his face wasn't entirely readable.

"He's...interesting looking."

Boris' brow lifted. That wasn't what he wanted to know, but he was curious.

"He is?"

"Mm. Very unique..." he continued, his young mind already cottoning on to ways to butter up his gruff, temperamental uncle, "Definitely eye catching for the audience..."

Boris smirked.

"Is that so? You tease me with these little tid bits, but that wasn't what I asked for."

"My apologies...he was just very striking to me. I forgot myself in my excitement for the circus."

Boris' smirk grew.

He enjoyed seeing the way he spoke and his mannerisms rubbing off on him this early. It meant he would be easy to teach.

"He should be arriving within the hour." he answered finally. Giving his uncle what he wanted while his mind processed the other snippets of information he was given.

He saw something that wasn't entirely clear. But from what he could tell, their new attraction had a certain aversion that was unfortunate to have in a circus.

He let out his own smirk.

That was handy to know. He sensed this one could be fiery.

He knew how to extinguish that now.

Boris lit up like a child at Christmas.

"Marvelous!" his voice boomed before he eyed his nephew again. "Anything else I should be prepared for?"

Brooklyn tilted his head and shrugged, enjoying the feeling of the shift in power.

And now for an all too familiar predicament. Did he divulge useful information? His uncle did warn him that altering and toying the future too much could have bad consequences.

Or did he keep this to himself and use it if and when an occasion arose that he would need ammunition?

In this case, he figured, the ammunition could be used more than once. He could still make use of it.

And he wanted his bedroom to remain single occupancy.

"You might want to be prepared for some resistance." his voice told him innocently.

Boris' expression changed, turning the air around him flat.

"But..." his serene, childish voice countered quickly, "You were planning on having Gregor and Ivan on hand, weren't you?"

"What of it?" his uncle snapped at him, already losing patience.

"Impeccable choice uncle, really. Destiny, almost. But I would advise you to have them come dressed for work, in case of trouble ..."

He left it at that. Turning himself and walking off to help Marta in the kitchen as asked. Leaving his uncle to ponder what he said.

He was a sharp man. He would catch on fast.

Sure enough, just under an hour later, the sound of hooves trickled through the air to the waiting man's ears, causing an almost predatory grin to tear across his face.

In a flash, he darted to his trailer, grabbed his vibrant red and gold coat off from the hook, sliding his arms through the fabric that defined him and reaching up to slick his hair back.

Show time...

As the carriage came to a halt, Bo gently shook the boy awake, feeling a familiar onset of nerves take hold of him.

How did one warn a child not to cry or protest in this situation?

"Kai? Wake up..." he let out softly, loud enough to make him stir.

Kai's crimson eyes strained to open, exhausted and heavy.

It hadn't been light when he'd fallen asleep. But now the carriage was rife with daylight.

He sat himself up, clambering over the cushioning the look out the windows.

His eyes went thin with horror.

A red and white tent stood looming in the distance. Much like the one he'd had the displeasure to be taken to before.

Only this time, neither his father or grandfather was here to protect him.

He shifted on his knees towards Bo and balled his fists, throwing them haphazardly at him.

"Where am I!? Take me back! I want to go _**back**_! Take me back to my papa!" he screamed in tantrum.

Bo panicked as he easily blocked the child's assaults. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen.

"Easy, lad. Calm yourself. It's all righ-"

"_**Take me back to my papa**_!" the boy interrupted, screaming at the top of his distressed lungs. His eyes reloaded with fresh tears as he continued to thrash at the familiar stranger.

"I want my papa! You take me_** back**_!" he kept screaming.

Bo's own eyes thinned as his eye caught a familiar figure draped in red coming towards them in the distance. The coat's loud color feeling like a fatalistic warning sign.

He grabbed hold of the small wrists and pulled him firmly.

"Listen..." he told him with more force as he pierced his eyes with his sobbing red ones, "It will be all right. Everything will be fine. But only if you listen to me. Are you listening?"

Kai went silent, more in the shock of being handled the way he was.

Bo took his stunned expression to show he was.

"The man in the red coat, the one coming to meet you now..." he started in a softer tone, "is the man who will put the food in your belly. The clothes on your back. The roof over your head..."

Kai instinctively tried to look over his shoulder to see who he was talking about, only to have Bo's strong hand force his face back to look at him.

"You'll be content and have everything you need to be comfortable. But not for free. The man in the red coat, his name is Boris Balkov. He runs this place. He is the one in charge." he explained. "He will give you what you need, but in return you will work for him. He will be pleasant to you, but if you do as you're told. He does not like defiance. Or complaining."

Kai sniffed, his slate brows knitting together in confusion.

"What work? And why me?" he asked, not understanding any of this.

Bo gave him a small smile. Glad that he wasn't screaming at him.

"You have a special talent. Something no one else has..."

Kai shifted and glanced down at the his hands, putting together what that talent was.

"But it was only one time! And I don't know what even happened!" he protested.

Bo let go of his wrist and ruffled his hair.

"It's all right. You will learn. And while you do, we'll teach you other things too. If you work hard, do as he asks...you'll be loved by all, _dazzling_." he said enthusiastically in an attempt to entice the love of attention children tended to have. Take even some of the edge off of it all. Even if it was just to hold him until after Boris had his first impression of him.

The first impression was all important.

He could see the series of questions that were dying to be asked in the boy's confused and uncertain eyes, but sadly, time was up.

He hoped to God it was enough...

"Here he is! Remember your manners!" he blurted out, forcing himself to sound bright and not nervous.

Kai spun, feeling himself freeze up as red flashed in his eyes. The razor sharp eyes stabbing in to him, the wide, wolfish grin that shouldn't have felt threatening, but was.

Bo ushered him, taking him by the shoulder and giving him a push as the driver pulled the door of the carriage open.

Before Kai knew what was happening, his shoes touched the dusty patch of grass, feeling the unchanging face staring at him.

He timidly lifted his ruby eyes up, going from the slightly tattered grey pants to the almost blinding red and gold jacket that framed the broad figure with pale skin.

The grin still didn't move. It was unnerving.

He felt his chest tremble.

He startled as in a sudden movement, red sleeves flew out to in front of him. His large, powerful hands stretching his pale fingers out as if he were going to grab him.

"_**Welcome!" **_a deep, boisterous and gravelly voice boomed in unnatural volume that made him stagger back, tripping over Bo's shoes and clumsily falling in to his legs.

Bo breathed out an uncomfortable laugh as he tried hard to lift him back on his feet, feeling his heart crawl its way up to his throat as he looked at the way the boy was staring at him, terrified.

It stopped beating completely when he felt his shoulders start to shake and heard a weak sniff.

Oh no...

The boy spun, eyes welling up despite his red eyes firing up as brightly as the coat.

"Take me _**back**_!" he yelled shakily in demand at Bo before his lip quivered.

Behind him the grin slowly regressed to a small and disapproving snarl that made Bo's blood run cold.

But to his surprise, that unnerving snarl that usually meant trouble got stretched back in to a less intense grin.

"Oh, my boy!" his raspy voice oozed out in deep remorse, "My apologies! Did I frighten you? Forgive me, won't you? I was just so excited to meet you, I let myself get carried away..."

Bo snapped his eyes up.

This was a first...

Kai's streaming eyes turned back to him, still angry.

"Let me go back to my papa!" he demanded for the umpteenth time.

Boris made his face soften.

He crouched down, holding out a large hand as his face etched in sympathy.

"There there...it's all right. Come..." he coaxed.

Kai sunk in to himself, finding his feet moving forward obediently, letting Bo's heart start up again.

Boris' eyes squinted as he forced a friendlier smile.

His hands came down to clap on his shoulder, something in his eyes changing as he did.

"Let me get a look at you..." he said as his eyes scanned over his new delivery.

Brooklyn was right. He was a unique looking thing.

On the bony side...nothing that looked like a threat.

"You look like you could use a good, hot meal..."

Kai stayed quiet, though the mention of food captured his interest.

He _was_ hungry...starving even.

"Do you like stew?" he asked with twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.

A large growl from the boy's stomach answered for him, gaining him a laugh in return.

"Well luckily for you, we have a wonderful cook here...come! Let's fill you up before we show you around!"

Kai reluctantly dragged his tired, unnerved feet along like he was told. Bo following behind.

His eyes had trouble taking it all in. The smells, the area, the little tents. But most of all, the people...

They didn't have any unusual features. Nothing out of the ordinary. And yet something about them seemed so extraordinary.

He was paid back in kind for staring, as the inhabitants of this place stared back with equal curiosity and interest at the unfamiliar face.

He didn't like them...

He was lead over to an area of mismatched tables and chairs strewn across a patch of grass, covered by a large gazebo.

Again. Staring. From anyone who happened to be sat, shovelling their utensils in to their mouths.

He barely had a chance to stare back, the pace of the man with the red coat only getting faster.

"Marta! Our new guest has arrived!"

Kai winced. He wished he wouldn't shout everything. His voice sounded scary when it was loud.

He crab walked to the side to get a look at who he was talking, feeling yet another shiver.

A short, plump woman hunched over an enormous cooking pot, which sat above an angry fire. Her hair red and her dress a dark grey.

All she'd need was a wart and she'd look like a wicked witch like in the stories his nanny read him.

She lifted her harsh looking face to reveal her greenish eyes and stood herself, looking him up and down.

"Goodness...scrawny, isn't he?" her blunt voice scraped out her mouth.

Boris tilted his head and smirked.

"The poor thing has been living on the streets...I'm sure your impeccable cooking skills will have him fattened up in no time..."

Kai shivered again.

Now he felt like a Hansel without a Gretel...face to face with the witch that would plump him up and shove him in an oven.

Marta's piercing eyes softened.

"Rough times, hm? Sit down, child. I'll bring you something."

He did as he was told, letting the ringmaster's strong hand lead him to a seat and sit him down.

The bowl and spoon came. The smell enticing. But his stomach was so full of fear he felt like he couldn't take a bite.

Boris eyed him, he and Bo both enjoying their own.

"Eat."

His hand jabbed at the spoon, picking it up.

Now he was too scared not to eat it.

With the bowl clean and the contents settling uncomfortably in his belly, he was quickly and impatiently dragged back to his feet.

The ringmaster wanted to show him his kingdom.

His stomach clenched and caused a stitch as he hustled to keep up with his broad, quick strides around the patchy grass.

"This is where we keep the animals."

"This is where we all sleep."

"As you know, this is where we eat."

"This is the fortune telling tent. My nephew's domain. You'll meet him later."

"This is where we do our practice for the most part. Wherever you find a space."

Kai gawked as he watched people stand on planks that balanced on balls, all the while juggling. A young man and woman were bending themselves in to positions that weren't possible. Like they were made of rubber. They were joined at the hands as if they were untangling a human knot.

"And here is the pièce de résistance..." Boris' voice exclaimed, interrupting him from his gawking, "the Big Top..."

Stretching up much higher than he'd imagined, the red and white tent loomed over him almost menacingly.

He jumped as once again a strong hand clapped him on the shoulder.

"Why don't we take a look inside...hm?"

Yet again he felt himself freeze up.

He didn't want to go in. He was afraid, but didn't know exactly why.

"Come..." was all he heard before he was pushed along towards the ominous, gaping mouth of the tent.

As he was engulfed, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the contrast and lack of light. The tent's exterior filtering the outside light to dark with a pinkish tint.

As they strolled in, his eyes took in the rows of seating circling their way around the large circle of sand.

The tall, strange man in the red coat walked with a proud stride through the sand, spinning himself as be reached the middle as he stood in a beam of natural light.

"_This_ will become the place that makes you..." he informed him with his powerful voice, "Here will be where you astound and amaze..." he grinned at him.

Seeing the blank expression he was getting back, he clapped his hands together, the lonely echo disappearing in to the striped walls.

"Listen to that, Kai. The sound of one person's hands coming together..." his gravelly voice smirked as he continued to clap slowly but powerfully. "Singularly, its nothing remarkable, is it?"

Kai felt he ought to shake his head, despite feeling like the powerful sound this singular man could produce with a clap was actually quite remarkable...

Boris smirked.

"No..." he answered for him, "But just try and picture it. Hundreds of these a night...all for you."

The small face remained blank.

"But...what for?" he spoke finally.

The clapping stopped as his lilac eyes pierced him.

They somehow managed to stay as bright as he once again stepped in to the shadow.

"Granted, what you did that night..." he began as the sand crunched under his heavy boots, "isn't the kind of display we want."

He smirked harder as he saw the boy sink in to himself.

"I wonder just how badly you did burn that man..."

The boy frowned, feeling his fear evaporate at the memory of that night coming back. And the man's tone giving the impression that what he had done was wrong.

"He was hurting my papa!" he yelled back defensively.

"He was. I wasn't denying that."

The boy narrowed his eyes, earning him yet an even bigger smirk.

"And yet, you still managed to astound, did you not? Your father sure was, wasn't he? Just think of what you could do in safer, more controlled environment...with practice and learning to harness it."

Kai tensed at the mention of his father, ignoring the rest.

"How would you know? You weren't there!"

The shoulders under the red coat shrugged.

"It's the story I was given plus an intelligent guess. How else would one react to their offspring shooting out flames?"

Kai tensed harder.

Boris had had enough of pleasantries.

"Which brings us to business..."

Kai watched as he stalked his way to the frame of the circle, picking up a metal pail.

The man never took his piercing eyes off him as he walked over to him.

A few feet away, he lazily lifted it and tipped it. Jet back lumps of coal dropping to the ground hard with soft thuds against the sand.

"Show me."

Kai's eyes went wider as they went from the pile of coals to him.

"What?"

Boris face clearly showed his annoyance as he shoved his hand in to his slightly tattered pants pocket. Yanking out a pack of cigarettes, he fiddled to get it open and ready. He struck a match, cupping one hand around the white stick in his mouth while lighting it with the other.

"I said _show me_." his voice snapped, no longer sounding quite as soft as he forcefully threw the now burnt out matchstick to the ground.

Kai shook his head.

"But I don't know how!" he panicked, looking quickly over his shoulder at Bo for backup. He'd told him that, too.

"Try!" Boris demanded forcefully, sucking sharply on the cigarette and blowing out a plume impatiently.

The boy continued to to shake his head, which irked him.

A lot.

He arched an angry brow as the cigarette once again lifted to his lips, walking around the pile of coals he expected to be ablaze by now and took the few long strides needed to put himself right in front of him.

He crouched down slowly, making sure the child kept his eyes with his on the journey down.

With a twist in his expression, he threw out a hand, gripping his young wrist in a claw-like grip.

Kai let out a frightened gasp as he instinctively pulled back.

"_**STAY.**_"

He stopped struggling and did as he was told out of fear. The strong hand joined by his other to force his pale, small and clammy palm to open.

His entire being was malicious.

"There is a saying, boy. We start as we mean to go on. Do as I say or quickly learn what happens when you defy me..."

His small body trembled, paralyzed as the lilac eyes burned him from the inside out.

The hand gripped him to the point it shot a pulse of pain up his arm.

"_**Show me!"**_

"_**I don't know how!"**_ he screamed back desperately.

The ringmaster's face turned even more chillingly fired.

With a powerful snarl, he held his cigarette over the palm of the child's hand, lifting a cruel finger over the dangling nub of hot ash and brought it down.

With a pained yelp, the boy tried hard to pull out of his strong grip as the heat of the grey dust bit in to his skin.

Bo twitched.

Boris brought the cigarette lower, tilting it vertically so that the red hot tip aimed right at the middle of his hand.

His eyes burned as hot as the small flame. The boy's as well as he continued to yank and jerk back pointlessly against the vice like grip.

"I said _**show me**_!"

A shudder of panic ran through him as his tender skin could feel the heat the cigarette was giving off.

It travelled ever lower.

He clamped his eyes shut and grit his teeth to try and brace himself for pain.

In what felt like a heartbeat, he heard a flickering roar, a heat blow against his face.

And the grip on his hand get released instantly.

He opened his eyes to see the terrifying man toppled back on to the sand, staring at him with a face that looked the total opposite as it had moments ago.

He shot his head over his shoulder to Bo, stood with his arms up and guarded with a look of stunned stupidity on his face.

The chill ran down his spine when a wheeze erupted in to black chuckle.

"Marvelous..."

The chuckle evolved in to a crackling cackle.

The man in the red coat pulled himself up, dusting the sand off his pants with a maniacal grin and lilac eyes alive with delight.

Once again, his hands came together in solo applause.

"_**Marvelous****!"**_

Kai's eyes instantly watered.

This was a nightmare.

Bo finally processed what he saw.

He knew the boy was capable of it. But thus far it was only something he'd heard of.

He'd just seen him turn a cigarette into a flame two feet tall.

He wondered what the state of Boris' fingers looked like.

Part of him hoped he'd at least done a bit of damage.

But by the way the boss was clapping his hands like a mad man, filled with glee at his new toy, he doubted it.

"I've seen all I need." he announced finally, "We will find a way to make you learn to summon and control it. No matter what it takes!"

Bo wished that cheerful voice didn't sound quite so ominous.

The ringmaster glanced down at his red, blistering and ever so slightly charred fingertips.

"You should rest now. We will start first thing tomorrow."

Bo finally jolted in to life.

"Where is he staying, Boris?" he asked, readying himself to escort the lad.

Boris let out a slight smirk.

"With your one..."

Bo nodded, putting his more gentle hands on the boy's shoulder to get him out as quickly as he could.

"Oh, Gregor..." Boris' voice called out loudly but softly.

Kai glanced around when he heard movement.

"Be a good man and fetch Bo's things from the carriage for him, would you?"

Bo frowned yet again at the uncharacteristic behaviour.

Since when did he get anyone else to do things on his behalf?

It made a little more sense when he turned to his fellow member, painted in his full white face, red mouth and nose and black, decorated eyes well before show time.

It made a lot more sense when he felt the boy grab on to him for dear life.

"Gregor will walk with you..." Boris dismissed, having already made his way to disappear behind the curtain.

The bastard...

As if the poor lad wasn't scared enough.

Somehow he knew.

He always knew how to get under your skin.

With one monster gone, the other approached them, making Kai grip even harder on to Bo.

The painted face looked down at him, unimpressed.

"Let's go already..." he barked at them both.

Why the hell he had to go carry Bo's stuff like a god damn bell boy was beyond him.

So was the reason why he'd been asked to go through the hassle of the make up hours and hours before they even opened.

It was more annoying he still had work to do, which would inevitably ruin it. Meaning he'd have to do it all over again.

Luckily, he hadn't had to dress in that stuffy suit.

His greying white vest and overalls were fine by Boris, as long as he had the face and the hat.

As he looked at the new brat and saw the look of horror, the pieces came together.

Fuck, he always knew...how'd he do that?

After a short walk that felt like a hideous amount of time time to the shaken boy, he was stopped outside a green tent among a multitude of other tents of various colors, sizes and states.

The second monster stopped and turned, having kept himself in front of Bo and the trembling brat for the duration of their silent and unnecessary walk together.

"This is it, aint it?" he asked sharply.

Bo nodded.

"Yeh, thanks...and don't worry about my stuff. I'm perfectly capable." he added uncomfortably.

Gregor scoffed.

As if he would go against an order.

"Shut up and let me just do it..." he spat as he turned to walk off, ignoring the boy clinging to Bo's leg.

As the face-painted monster stalked off, the boy still felt unnerved.

Bo crouched down to him.

"This is where you're going to sleep from now, all right? My tent is just that one there." he pointed out, just the other side of the small, unmarked walkway. "There's someone else who will sleep in there with you, so don't worry! You won't be lonely. He's probably still doing his chores, I'll see if I can find him for you!" he offered kindly before he pulled back the opening of the tent for him.

"You go on inside. Get yourself good and comfy. I'll be back soon!"

Kai's traumatised feet quietly took him inside like he was told to.

He stood, now alone and silent in the green tent and looked around.

One crude looking bed.

Pillows on the floor.

A trunk.

That was it.

He stared at it some more.

This beat living outside on the street, didn't it?

His lip wobbled and his vision blurred.

He'd take the wet, concrete bed if it meant he could be with his papa.

What good was a roof over your head in a nightmare?

Somewhere those monsters walked.

Again...with no one to protect him from them.

The whole thing was yet to sink in properly.

Like how on Earth his father could hand him over to them like that.

Why could he do what he could with the fire?!

But the biggest question on his scared and hurt mind was...

How did it all end up like this?

A time when he got woken by his nanny in a cozy room in a plush bed, his family in their own just down the hall seemed like both yesterday and another lifetime ago at the same time.

He missed his grandpa so badly.

His grandma too.

Of course, his father he missed so much it hurt, but he'd been the one who took him away from them. Only to throw him away after...

"Hello!"

He leapt out his skin and spun around with streaming eyes to face what had greeted him.

His face once again shaping in to something horrified.

Gold eyes.

Pointed ears.

A smile that showed pointed teeth.

He jumped back and shrieked.

_Monster!_

Another one!

He grabbed the nearest thing to him he could. The only thing around, really.

A pillow.

Which he loaded behind his shoulder, ready to attack.

**_"Stay back!"_**

The beast tilted his head.

"What's the matter?"

**_"Leave me alone!"_** the shaky voice warned as he lifted the pillow higher.

The new face looked concerned.

"Why are you crying?" he asked sympathetically.

"I said _get out_!"

The fangs were covered up with a pout.

"Nuh-uh! You said 'stay back' and 'leave me alone'. Never told me to get out. And besides, this is _my_ tent."he told him matter of factly as he folded his arms.

Kai's expression softened and lowered the pillow as it sunk in it talked.

"...What are you?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and studied him more.

The other pouted harder, irritated.

Not this again...

"I'm a boy, idiot! I know I have long hair, but I'm clearly a boy!"

Kai blinked, finally noticing. It seemed he had long hair that was tied back.

"I know you're a boy!" he snapped back, "but I mean what _are_ you?! Why do you look like that?"

The long haired boy relaxed and cracked a fanged smile again.

"Oh! I was just born like this. Where I'm from everyone looks like this!"

Kai arched a brow.

"And...where are you from?"

"China."

It was Kai's turn to tilt his head.

He'd heard of China. He didn't know much about it. Just that it was a really big country.

Had no idea it was a land of...cat people.

"Do you have a name?"

His gold eyes got brighter.

"It's Ray."

"Weird name..." he blurted out.

Ray blinked.

"It...It is? What's yours?"

He hesitated.

"Kai..." he answered quietly.

Ray rolled his eyes.

"Pff. And you said mine was weird..."

Kai scowled back.

"Hn..." he dismissed as he looked at the pillows on the floor and the bed.

"Which one do I sleep on?" he asked, his sore feet wanting to lay down.

Ray gave him another look.

"...Neither of them?"

The scowl got more severe.

"What do you mean_ neither_ of them?" he asked in a snotty voice.

"Well..." he shrugged as he pointed, "that there is my bed. And this one is Driger's."

Kai's breath caught in his throat.

Another strange name.

Another monster?

No normal person slept on the floor on cushions, right?

What kind of monster was it?

"Who's that...?" he asked in a voice filled with dread.

The gold eyes lit up again.

"Oh! Right!" he exclaimed before he turned around.

"Driger! Come on in!"

Kai stared at the entrance of the tent warily, feeling his blood chill as there was a nudge at the bottom half of the fabric door.

It turned to ice, freezing him solid as it was followed by piercing green eyes.

A pink nose.

Whiskers

...Fur.

Bo frowned as he made his way back to the tent. He wasn't cleaning the animal cages, where he should have been...

You'd think you'd be able to spot a boy accompanied by a white tiger pretty easily...

He stopped in his tracks when he heard a terrified scream, looking up to fathom where it had come from and clicking quickly.

He broke in to a run, throwing open the doorway of the tent.

Oh... There they were.

Ray turned to him with guilty eyes, hands covering his sensitive ears and Driger was crouched lower to the ground with his own ears folding back as the stranger in their tent continued to shout and hollering bloody murder in the corner, armed with as many cushions as he could grip.

"I think he's broken..." his young protege whined.

Bo put his hands on his hips sternly.

"Ray, how many times have I told you?" he scolded over the yelling, "I know he's your best friend, but not everyone is comfortable being that close to a tiger..."

"But...what was I supposed to do? He lives here!"

As the yelling suddenly stopped, Bo's eyes went to the frazzled, distraught looking boy holding up a cushion in threat while his other arm held a bunch more.

"Why don't you ask him to go outside huh? Ease him in...?"

Ray nodded in understanding before turning his attention to Kai.

"Could you go outside? You're scaring Driger."

Bo pinched his nose.

"I meant ask _Driger_ to go outside..."

Ray pouted.

"No fair! He's the one making all the noise!"

The tiger chuffed out a slight noise from his throat, making Kai yelp and ready the cushion.

But once again, he was rendered paralysed in fear as the tiger's shoulders rolled, moving it's ferocious paws across the floor towards him, his beady eyes staring at him like he was judging how much he could eat in one bite.

This was the end...

The tiger made another grunt as he came close to him before lowering himself and flopping on to his side with a thud on to the cushions, stretching himself and making himself comfortable.

Kai's pale face turned whiter.

With a shower of cushions being tossed in the air, another series of yells and a flash of blue hair bolting out the tent had both Bo and Ray stunned.

"_Thank goodness for that...he was hurting my ears. And he messed up my bed..." _a tired voice droned in Ray's head.

Ray sighed.

It wasn't fair.

The tent was just big enough for him and Driger.

Why did _he _have to stay here too?

* * *

Boris peered through the gap in the thick, velvet curtain. A permanent smirk had been plastered across his face for the past twenty minutes.

The brat was, literally and figuratively, on _fire_ this evening.

His nephew had come to him that morning and had a conversation that was a tad convenient considering what had occurred the night before.

He was somewhat smug that he'd irritated him enough to complain to Brooklyn about it.

But, he wasn't altogether an unfair man.

If the boy was so bothered by the attire he's assigned to him, he'd gladly reconsider...

If he weren't such a defiant little shit.

It seemed his nephew was the go-between that they so sorely needed.

He startled as the flames soared and burst, sending downpours of glittering embers floating down in to the sandy arena like indoor fireworks, chuckling as the audience let out incredibly impressed shrieks.

This was more like it.

This wasn't even in the routine that had been set for the next little stint.

This was a little extra something. Blatant grovelling.

But the ringmaster would eat it right up, if it meant he didn't have to deal with his less desirable qualities.

He watched the duration of the act, his smirk ever growing at the building perfection and sudden showmanship.

Watching his pale and muscular arms swoop out like a bird of prey, the raging flame he'd summoned from a pile of burning out coals split and circled the arena.

The same finale as every night recently.

But somehow, tonight was more spectacular.

The flames burned brighter, soared faster and with more ferocity.

As the audience burst in to applause, some even giving a standing ovation, the man behind the curtain in the red coat even graced a few claps.

The pale face painted with red fins bowed with a smile that hurt his cheeks.

It wiped it back off his face the moment he made it behind the curtains. His crimson eyes scowling as they came in to contact with amused lilac ones.

"...Good boy."

His lip curled and ignored him. Storming off to his dressing room to get the hell out of his stupid costume so he could go home.

Face cleaned of the clumping make-up, he stripped out of the black...thing and tossed it on the floor, where it would lay until the next night.

He let out a comfortable sigh as he was once again in his grey pants that didn't cling, his white shirt that was just a little too big and the braces that held everything up and covered.

He wasted no time in slamming the dressing room door closed, stomping his way out of the back, giving barely a nod at the two contortionists who had praised his act.

He ignored the chatter, the stupid cackling that surrounded small bonfires in the camp. Just like every other night.

He reached his destination, throwing back the green fabric of his home, sweet home.

He breathed out an annoyed sigh through his nose.

Ah. That was right.

It was Ray's night off.

Then why wasn't he out with those plebs? Sat around a fire making the same jokes and sharing the same stories as they did every damn night?

Instead of doing what he was currently. Sitting cross legged on his bed with Driger staring at him.

They hadn't really talked since their spat the night before.

Nor did he intend to for a while.

"You were fantastic tonight." Ray spat out immediately.

"Hn. Thanks." he muttered back gruffly as he entered, going straight to his own bed.

He felt like a god damn sell out...

All his big talk at Ray the night before about having self pride...and he'd spent the last forty minutes grinning like a moron while he convincingly threw fire around as if he got off on it.

Before Ray could say anything else to try and crack the stubborn nut that had just flung himself down, a gruff voice came from the other side of their tent.

"_**Kai.**_"

Kai lifted his head off the pillow with another scowl. He'd literally _just _sat down.

But he knew that cutting voice.

He also knew he shouldn't sass the owner of that voice...but he couldn't be too much of a good boy in one night.

"What?"he bit back curtly.

"_**Are you decent?"**_

He rolled his eyes.

"I'm out of that monstrosity you made. So yes."

The fabric was torn back, revealing a stout woman with sea green eyes.

"If I'm so terrible, you won't want me to make a new one for you then, huh?"

Ray's eyes lit up as he snapped his head to his room mate.

The words "told you so" balanced on the tip of his tongue as he watched him walk out again. But he thought better of it. He did want them to patch things up after all.

Kai sat up, trying to hide the surprise in his face.

That was fast...

A little too fast...

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"A new one?"

Marta nodded impatiently. She had enough to do without standing around talking to idiots.

"Yes. Like I told you. You be good and roll over when he tells you, he throws you a bone. Now _up_!"

Kai complied, pulling himself up and strolling over to her lazily.

It was her turn to narrow her eyes at him.

"Arms out. Legs apart." she barked as she snapped her measuring tape.

He did as instructed, looking like a moody starfish.

"Didn't you _just_ take my measurements?" he asked with his usual condescending tone.

She looked up with an unamused frown as she measured his inner leg.

"You sure you want to give attitude to someone whose fist is so close to your family jewels?"

Ray bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Where Boris was the boss, the 'father', Marta was the circus mom. The second in command.

She could be scary, and you would be an idiot to get in her bad books, but Ray liked her a lot.

And despite how they talked to each other, he knew she and Kai were fond of each other as well.

She pulled his arms out straighter and circled round him to stretch the tape across his shoulders.

She shook her head once again.

"My, you boys are growing up so fast..." she smirked as she once again took in how much broader and masculine he was now, side glancing at the other sat on the bed as well.

"It feels like yesterday you were both chubby-cheeked pains in my neck. And now you're...well, Ray, you're becoming a delightful young man..." she jabbed.

Ray gave a smug grin while Kai scowled.

Marta snorted at the pointed grin on his face.

"Still have some of that wildness in you though."

"And you love me for it." Ray answered back.

"Hn! As if! If it wasn't you making me sick with worry with those stunts you always tried to pull, it was this one spitting fire and butting heads. I'm surprised I'm not grey yet! I thought I had it rough when Mariam started blossoming in to a woman, then this one showed up and made her changes seem tame!" she mused with a gruff chuckled, slapping Kai's shoulder.

Ray grinned as he sucked in air.

She probably shouldn't rattle his cage like that...insinuating he was worse than _her._

"Oh please! She's always had an unwarranted stick wedged up her ass..." Kai hissed.

Marta chuckled as she tapped his shoulders again and leaned in closer to his ear.

"Yes...and you've always had a silver spoon up yours..." she smirked before she came away.

"Right...I'm going to make start on this god forsaken costume before you do something to make Boris change his mind..." she sighed, "I can't promise it'll be as baggy as you like, but I'll make it looser."

"Thank you..."

Marta shuddered ever so slightly as she left. Now that _was_ a rarity.

With a few hard stomps, the dumpling of a woman disappeared behind the green fabric, leaving the boys alone once again. The air not quite as awkward as Kai finally seemed to be enjoying that he was getting that small thing he'd wanted that had caused so much tension.

"Congratulations..." Ray smiled as he shifted his position on the bed.

Kai arched a brow. Yes, it was good. But nothing worth congratulating.

"What for? Bowing down like an obedient dog?" he asked with a tone laced in poison.

Ray rolled his own eyes.

"No. For getting what you wanted. I know how much it bothered you...even though I thought it looked good..."

Kai's brow raised even higher at that.

"Anyway..." Ray continued quickly, "I'm glad you listened to me and finally saw some sense. All it took was doing your job properly and holding your tongue to bring peace to the land..."

Kai scoffed.

After sweeping his legs from under him and putting him on his ass during their spat, he wasn't quite ready to let go of the grudge.

"Don't flatter yourself...Brooklyn talked to him for me."

Ray's brow twitched.

"He did?" he asked with a low, envious rumble in his throat.

"Yep." he answered bluntly, "As if that oaf would come up with a compromise on his own..." he sneered before he shot him a glance.

"Maybe you should listen to _me_ once in a while. It isn't what you know, it's _who_ you know..."

Ray shifted.

Of course..._Brooklyn_ came to save the day again...

Kai smirked, seeing the expression on his face and continued.

"Maybe if you were a little nicer to him, he could help you get what _you_ want. You know...the bigger tent you want so Driger can sleep in with you...weird, all your hard work isn't making that happen on its own..." he said in a fake tone as he tapped his chin.

Ray growled. So much for making amends...

"Why are you being like this?"

"Being like what?"

"An _asshole_!" he growled, "I'm trying to patch up that stupid fight and you're doing what you do best and making it worse!"

"Well then, if I'm so horrible, you should _definitely_ suck up to Brooklyn and make that tent thing happen! 'Cause there's no way I'm living with _him_!" he spat as he pointed at the tiger, green eyes closing lazily to block out the noise yet again.

"No way! So much for self-pride, Kai! You like to make big speeches and piss off Boris, but you're _more _than happy to kiss _Brooklyn's_ ass!" he yelled as he clambered out the bed and stood himself up, agitated and feeling a green squirm in his gut.

"You like to act like you're better than everyone here, call them incestuous and low, and yet recently all I ever see is you sneaking off to that sparkly tent..." he said in an accusing tone that Kai didn't like, "which makes me wonder..."

Kai narrowed his eyes.

"Be _very_ careful what comes out your mouth next..."

Driger let out a deep breath from his nose.

Time to distract them before this got ugly...

He'd rather take the brunt of the fire than Ray.

He heaved himself up and stretched his limbs, hopping off the bed and getting the boys' attention.

With a twinkle in his eye, he strolled the few steps it took to the currently unoccupied bed, jumping up on it and pawing at it to make it comfortable.

He felt the crimson eyes fire up.

"NO! No, no! DOWN!" he yelled as he pointed at the floor.

"He's not a dog, Kai..."

"Then get him _**off **_my bed!"

Ray folded his arms.

"And why the hell should I!?"

Kai's eye twitched.

"Oh, so much for wanting to make amends!"

"Ohhhh, look at this! Now you want something from me, you want to make up! How typical of you!"

"The hell?! You kicked me! Of course I'm mad!"

"Because _**you**_ were being a jerk!"

"Again! If I'm so damn awful, I'll gladly leave!"

The white tiger's ears flinched and flapped. His green eyes slitting.

He'd had _enough_.

His snout curled back to expose his teeth as he let out a loud, snapping snarl of warning.

The bickering stopped instantly as the two boys jumped.

_'What's your problem!?'_ Ray's voice floated in his mind.

To Ray's surprise, nothing came back.

Kai frowned, slapping Ray's arm.

"See why I don't wanna sleep with that _thing?_!"

"Stop calling him names!"

With a deafening roar, Driger leapt off the bed. His heckles up as his shoulders tensed and lowered to the ground in front of them both.

The two jumped back, gripping each other instinctively. It was never a good sign when Driger got like this outside a show...obviously.

But it was a real sign he was mad when Ray couldn't hear him.

_'Driger, the hell!?'_

Instead of an answer, another cutting snarl came out.

"...I think we'd better get out of here..." Ray whispered as a small bead of sweat formed on his brow.

He was no stranger to a swipe across the head from his pissed off companion.

Kai's face was whiter than a sheet.

Ray fully trusted his animal. But he sure as hell didn't. Not with that rabid look in his eyes that spelled out a mauling.

"Seconded...how do we...?"

"Just walk slowly..."

Driger kept his threatening stance and his teeth bared as he watched them slowly back out of the tent holding on to each other with their tails between their legs.

His ferocious expression softened and his lips turned in to a smile as he chuffed out a rumbling laugh.

Those two did amuse him. All bark and no bite.

That's all those stubborn cubs needed. A shock to knock their heads together and stop them hurling words at each other. Just like the last time and any time that might follow.

He stretched his front legs, lifting his behind up in the air to give his back a good stretch out before he turned himself. Eyeing Kai's bed.

...It would be rude not to...

He leapt on to the grumpy one's soft bed and flopped down, rolling over a few times to rub his scent on it.

As much as he liked him and wanted him and Ray to make up, he could feel the hurt he'd inflicted on his companion.

He couldn't let him get away with that entirely...

* * *

End of Chapter 5!

I really hope you enjoyed it!

Would love to know what y'all thought!

Hope to see you next time! :)


	6. The Great Houdini - Part 1

Hello!

Urgh, been forever since I updated this one! I'm sorry! This chapter has been the bane of my life for a while. Just haven't been able to get it done.

Thank you for those who read and left comments for the last chapter! Appreciate it immensely!

This chapter is a part one of two, hence why it is a bit shorter and a little sparse in parts perhaps! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The Great Houdini – Part 1.

With the sound of metal clinking, wild green eyes peeled open and let out a disapproving huff as he lifted his vibrant white and black head.

"Morning Driger..."

He covered his eyes with his large paw.

"_Why on earth would you wake me at such an unnatural hour?" _the deep, rolling voice echoed in Ray's head.

The boy snickered.

"It's the same time I always wake you up."

"_Which is always cruel and unnatural..."_

Ray frowned as he tip-toed over the thin layer of straw.

"Didn't sleep well again?" he asked with a hint of bitterness.

The paw slipped down his nose to reveal eyes that held a scolding warning.

"_I slept just fine, Ray..."_

Since the first..._interesting _meeting with the new cub that had come to join their little family, Bo and Boris had come to the conclusion that it was probably best for Driger to be moved to a cage in with the other show animals for the time being.

Naturally, he preferred the comfort of the soft cushions. But he was a cat. A big, wild one, mind you. But a cat nonetheless.

He could sleep anywhere.

He knew it bothered his little wildling something awful. Resented the new one horribly.

And he doubted it was just because of his new sleeping arrangement.

He didn't seem to have anything warm to say about him at all.

All he'd heard over the past month or so was a string of complaints.

At first they were somewhat innocent.

"_He doesn't talk! He's so boring!"_

"_Why is Boris trying so hard with him? I don't see anything special!"_

"_Last night he snored!"_

"_He never listens to me!"_

But then it got more troubling.

"_His Majesty tried to run away last night...Boris is furious..."_

That had been around three weeks ago.

By all accounts, while they were finishing up and closing down the circus for the night, he'd tried to cover himself up with a coat and blend in with the crowd on the way out.

Brooklyn caught him.

And by all accounts, when he came back to the tent later that night, his eye was black and swollen to a point it glowed.

According to Ray, he didn't say anything. He'd just rolled over and went to sleep without a word.

Not that Ray cared...

Driger stretched his front legs, pushing his butt in the air to stretch his back out while he was at it as his young counterpart yammered on. "You'll never guess what he said to me last night, Drig!" he chuckled meanly, "He said he really craved something with apricots in it! Well _laaaa-deee-daaaa!_ Who does he think he is?! One of the Tsars?! The snotty little...weird-haired...idiot!" he grumbled out angrily as he swept the floor around his feline friend. _"The audacity..."_ Driger let out sarcastically, "_You do remember that he came from a different forest than you? That's no fault of his own..."_

"I know that!" Ray snapped at him, "But he could at least try and be helpful! He lives here now!"

"_Perhaps he doesn't know how..." _Driger reasoned,_ "And perhaps it's hard to join in when he still craves being with his own pack."_

Ray sunk in to himself as he stared at the dusty, straw scattered floor, sweeping harder. That was probably true. All he did in their room before bed was stare at that pocket watch. After the hundredth time of asking to see it and getting told to get lost, he got mad and snatched it from him. He wasn't looking at the time. He was looking at his mother and father.

"Still..." Ray pouted, "They could at least let me take you back to the tent now. It's been long enough for him to get used to you!"

"_All in good time..." _Driger calmed, the frightful sound of the boy's hollering when he first met him still fresh in his mind,_ "I'm in no rush to go back to that racket."_

* * *

"_Again! __**Focus!**_"

Crimson eyes bore in to the burning flame as the ferocious voice sent another chill down his spine, willing it to do something, anything.

Why?! Why could he make it move only sometimes? Why was it never when he demanded?!

His temples started to hurt from focussing so hard. All for the flame to do absolutely nothing.

He wasn't looking at him, but he could feel Boris getting angry.

His intuition was correct.

"Do I need to take my cane to you _again_, boy?!" he roared, out of patience and wanting to see something he'd paid for.

As he raised his arm, he saw the boy freeze in panic and brace himself. And just like all the other times before, the flame of the small fire he'd set up on the ground began to roar back at him haphazardly.

He snarled and lowered his arm lazily.

The boy wouldn't be much use to him if his skills were only brought on by threats. He couldn't rightly take a cane to him in front of the audience. Plus he was yet to learn to manipulate it.

And yet so far that seemed to be the only method that produced results.

Over a month of fruitless experimentation. The only lead being to instil fear.

The gruff ring master cracked his neck and sighed, annoyed.

"Enough for now. You're due to help Marta clean up...we'll resume later..."

After dumping a pail of water over the small fire, he dragged the quiet boy roughly across the patchy pathway to the slowly draining tent where the rest of the circus had just finished filling their stomachs before going on about their morning work.

Boris ripped open the thin door and pushed the boy in roughly.

A smirk instantly cracked on a stony and plump face, sea-green eyes glittering a little.

"Well, good morning Boris...Kai..." she greeted in a tone cheerier than anything that usually came out of her.

"Hn." Boris grunted as he shoved the boy forward, "He's not to be fed. Not until he earns it from me. Clear?"

Marta arched an auburn brow.

"Crystal."

She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head as he turned and left a heartbeat later, letting out her sigh once the door was closed and he was out of earshot.

"No luck today either I take it?"

Kai shook his head, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"I'm telling you, he can't do it!" a snippy voice chirped.

The sea-green eyes snapped to it.

"And I'm telling _you_, if you don't mind your business Mariam, I'll make sure all the kitchen chores are left to you exclusively! Now, get scrubbing!" the older woman scolded as she reached for a cloth, handing it to the smaller boy.

"That goes for you, too. Do a good job and I'll make sure to fix you up a little something."

Purple hair swished as it turned, outraged.

"But Boris sai-"

"_What did I just tell you!?_ Mind your business, girl!" Marta fired.

She was tired of her attitude towards him.

Every. Single. Day.

The poor mite sure was rubbing people the wrong way. But how, she didn't really understand.

Especially among the gifted ones.

Ray had taken a dislike to him, probably due to his tiger being taken out of his tent.

Mariam hated him on sight. But she had a feeling she knew why that was...

Jealousy was an ugly thing.

Brooklyn seemed to have his doubts about him, but was keeping very quiet as to why.

And Boris...well, Boris was Boris.

She herself was hardly a warm, maternal soul. The entire circus could agree with that. But she had a little more heart than her red coat wearing counterpart.

And starving a small boy for not being able to make a fire do spectacular things wasn't something she would partake in.

She went to her counter, now cleared of the dirtied pots, pans and bowls she had been using during breakfast.

Now, what could she make for him?

As she beat eggs in a bowl, she looked up occasionally to oversee her cleaning minions. Working hard. Not speaking to each other.

Really, that was fine by her.

No talking meant no headaches.

She clumped her way through the silence and grabbed the box of matches.

With a satisfying scrape and a smell she adored, the red tip of the match sparked in to flame, lighting the stove again and going back to her preparations.

As she finished slicing up the remains of the bread left, she smelled a black smell.

"...Marta? Is something burning?" Mariam asked, sniffing the air as well.

Marta looked up at the stove and paled.

Had she left that cloth there?!

She let out a startled yelp seeing the cloth catching fire, making Kai startle in return.

"_**Water**_, Mariam! Get some water!" Marta shrieked.

Kai stared at it as Mariam flailed beside him.

That fire was scaring Marta...

He felt his arm lift and his hand close.

The fire went out. Just a few streams of smoke and a lingering smell of burning fabric.

Kai's eyes popped right out his sockets as his eyes went from the stove to his hand to the stove again.

Marta stood stunned, her plump bottom lip hanging open.

Mariam tensed.

"HA!" Marta cawed, echoing off the kitchen walls, "You did it, lad! You did it!"

Her hand flew out, her fingers wrapping around his wrist before she dragged him as fast as her round frame would allow her.

"Boris! _**Boris!**_"

Needless to say, Boris was delighted.

Which should have been a relief to Kai.

But instead, Boris wanted to see it himself even more.

Marta rolled her eyes as she saw him grow irate and impatient with him quickly when he couldn't do it again on cue.

"Boris...a word?" she droned in a fed up tone.

The fiery ringmaster stomped away from the quivering boy and joined her.

"What?!"

"I think your methods aren't working..."

"I see that woman!" he snarled at her.

She gave him a look.

"In which case, don't you think it would be better to stop banging the same drum and try something else?"

He glared at her.

"Then by all means, please inspire me!"

"Very well..." she smirked.

She took a few steps closer to the boy.

"Good work, Kai. That's all for now. Come, let's get you something to eat..."

Kai followed her nervously, not missing the look on Boris' face.

But Marta wasn't one who took kindly to being disobeyed either...

He followed her back to the kitchen, ready to be handed a cloth when instead he was ushered to sit down.

"Do you like scrambled eggs or fried?" she asked.

Kai blinked at her.

"Hn?"

"Eggs. Scrambled of fried. I don't have all day."

"Scrambled!" he answered quickly.

"Very well..."

He sat and watched her potter around the counters and the stove again. This time, incident free.

She set down a late of eggs and bread...the bread having a layer of butter on it.

He hadn't tasted butter in...he didn't know how long.

Marta chuckled as she watched him hunch his shoulders in delight at the taste.

He needed a little fattening up...

He helped clean up once he was done, not wanting to go back to Boris.

"Come with me..."

Too late...

He followed her out, only to be taken to what he assumed was her trailer.

To his surprise, she beckoned him inside.

"Sit." she instructed roughly as he stepped in, pointing at the wooden chair next to her dressing table.

He sat, obediently.

She quickly cleared the table of the hairbrushes and powders, the residue of which dusted the table and left the outlines of the tubs on the surface.

She fetched her lap, setting it in front of him.

"Here..." she said monotonously, pulling out a pack of matches from her pocket that she'd brought from the kitchen.

"I'll leave you to it. Just try. If you can't, you can't. If you can, come find me. Just don't you dare torch down my trailer! And if you touch _anything_ I will know and feed you to Boris!" she warned as she struck the match and lit the small lamp.

His ruby eyes stared blankly as she simply...left.

Now it was just him and this little flame...

His eyes bore in to it.

His hands waved at it.

He talked to it. Verbally and in his mind.

Nothing was working.

He slumped in his chair and let his head fall forward, bumping against the table.

This was hopeless...

He was going to be in trouble again.

Or was he? Marta had said if he couldn't do it, he couldn't do it.

He had no clue. This place still made no sense.

He huffed and lifted his head again, resting his chin lazily against his hand.

He frowned as he looked at the flame again.

He wondered...he knew that somehow he could make it do things. But if he touched it, would it burn him?

Curiosity took hold, his uncertain and slightly scared hand heading towards the small flame.

He could feel the growing heat as his hand got closer.

He sucked in a deep breath, holding it before he clamped his eyes shut and jutted his hand in to it.

…

One crimson eye peeped open.

Then the other.

His uninjured hand slowly pulled back from the flame, which lead to a bigger surprise.

As his hand came away from the lamp, the flame came off with it, holding on to the palm of his hand.

He turned his hand upward, a perfect flame flickering in the centre of it.

His childish face broke in to a wondrous grin.

He could do that?!

Marta! He had to show Marta!

He carefully slid off the chair, the tip of his tongue poking through his lips as he concentrated harder than he ever had on keeping it in his palm and tip-toed out the door.

He got dessert that night. A big one.

He caught Ray glaring at him beside him.

"Would you...would you like some?" he offered.

"Pff. No." he snarled.

He didn't want anything off him...delicious or not.

The next day he didn't have to go with Boris either. He got taken back to Marta's trailer and left alone again.

This time he found out that if he lifted his hand up towards the ceiling, the flame grew as tall as his hand.

He got dessert that night, too.

The day after that was the same. No Boris. Alone in trailer.

He tried, he pleaded, he focussed...

And somehow, he didn't even know how, he managed to make the flame come off the wick and float the short distance to his hand.

The only thing was, when he went to get Marta to show her, it wouldn't do it again.

No dessert that night...

But she did give him butter on his bread again.

The following day a huge surprise came.

He had the day off.

He didn't have to try and do anything with the fire today. Just his chores and a little more help in the kitchen, and he was free.

He wondered what he was going to do with his morning off...

Meanwhile, the clacking of hooves came to a stop, Boris and a few other men circled the large carriage containing their delivery.

The driver and his accomplice put on their flat caps, easing themselves out of their seats and landing on the ground to join them.

"I trust the journey wasn't too hard on her? That she was sufficiently fed and watered. I don't want a repeat of last time..." Boris spat.

The driver stiffened.

"I can assure you, she is in peak condition."

"I'll be the judge of that. Open up the crate."

As they went around the back, a larger crowd gathered. It always was exciting getting another animal. And Yelena had been excited about getting her new horse/performance partner for weeks.

Ray flinched as he felt a familiar and unwanted presence appear beside him. As his eyes side glanced, he scrunched his nose in disapproval at the sight of two toned hair.

"What's going on?" it asked.

Ray sighed.

"Do you not listen? Yelena's new horse came."

"Why is she getting a new horse?"

Ray suppressed a growl.

"Because Ghost is getting too old. She needs to train this one up before he can retire."

"I always thought that was such a sad name for a horse."

Ray arched a brow and turned his head to him.

He was chatty today...

He didn't like it.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, clearly uninterested in the answer.

"Yeh. Makes him sound like he's already dead."

Ray snorted.

"You ever met Ghost properly? He's plenty spirited." he snickered.

Since it was his job to help tend to the animals, he got to know them all quite well. And Ghost, despite being an amazing performer, had a very mischievous streak behind the scenes. But Ray liked that about him.

"No...Boris won't let me see them..."

Ray's brows creased in to a small frown at the sadder tone of his voice.

"Why not?"

Kai shrugged.

Deep down, Ray knew exactly why.

You got nothing here without earning it. Even the smallest pleasure of petting an animal.

But still, boo hoo! Big deal! He got apple cake and syrniki from Marta! What was he so darn sad about!?

Brat...

"Whooaaa! Whoaaaa! Easy, girl!"

Their heads snapped back to the carriage to see a large, majestic white creature slowly emerging from it. Her thin but powerful legs skittishly stomped down the ramp as the two men who had driven her here held her reign and calmed her.

A slim but shapely blonde woman stepped forward carefully, her brown eyes looking in awe as she approached her new companion for the first time.

"...Isn't she beautiful." she cooed, keeping her distance still.

The driver tipped his cap at the young lady.

"Thank you, mademoiselle! Only the finest horses St. Petersburg has to offer, I can assure you!"

Kai turned to ice in an instant. His heart stopping even quicker.

Had he heard that right?!

St. Petersburg!?

That's where his papa was! Where he'd been taken from!

His heart jolted back to a start, reversing the extreme and going at a wild pace instead as he tried to think.

"Ray?"

The icy voice made his heart stop again.

"Yes, Boris?"

The two boys turned to face dull, lilac eyes.

"Did you finish setting up the new stable?"

"Yes, sir!"

The same lilac eyes narrowed.

"And you remembered everything?"

Kai felt Ray tense.

"Yes...sir?" he replied less confidently.

Boris' eyes narrowed.

"Then what was that bag of feed doing on the ground when I walked through?"

Ray paled.

"I'm sorry, Boris..." he squeaked out.

"Go do it. Now."

In a flash, his room mate was gone, the small crowd started to disperse to get on with their days as the people needed prepared to take the new animal to her new home.

The show was over.

He stayed still as he watched Yelena and Boris accompany the two men and the horse, none of them caring to glance his way.

As they began to fade out of sight, he turned his attention to the carriage...

The one that would be going back to St. Petersburg...

And was currently unattended...

* * *

Yelena's eyes sparkled as she watched the horse settle in to her new accommodation, already enjoying the fresh water and hay that Ray had put down for her earlier.

Ray stood on his tip-toes, looking over the gate as best he could.

"She's pretty!"

"Isn't she!?" Yelena gushed.

"Do you have a name picked out for her?" the small boy asked.

Yelena turned her chestnut eyes to him, beaming.

"I had a few ideas in mine, but now that I've seen her, I know what I'm going to pick!"

Ray's expression stretched in to an excited smile as well.

"What you pick?!"

"_Pearl_!"

"Ooooooooo! That goes with your new costume, too!"

She beamed more than was naturally possible, she loved this kid.

"Thanks for noticing!"

"You sure got over Ghost fast..." another young voice commented.

Yelena's light darkened as she spun around ready to scratch.

"I did not get over him! We still have several months together before he has to stop!" she bit defensively at a pair of calm teal eyes.

"I wasn't judging. Out with the old, in with the new. It's how life works, is it not?"

Yelena made a face.

The boss' nephew creeped her out.

Boris on the other hand, let out a chuckle.

"In some cases, Brooklyn. But things aren't always quite that simple."

"Are they not, uncle? Is that not why Mariam-"

"I think you ought to hold your tongue before you upset any more ladies, dear boy..." he cut off fondly.

How he admired his nephew.

A mere child, sharp and smart with a gift. Never raised his voice or hurled curse words, but somehow managed to cut deep with the softest of voices and the most innocent of words.

Ray tilted his head.

"Why Mariam what?"

"None of your concern..." Boris repeated sternly.

The driver turned, having finished what he was doing and let out a deep chuckle.

"That's not your nephew, is it?! Last time I was here, I swear you were a good few feet shorter!" he laughed as he stepped up to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

The moment his hand made contact, his teal eyes hazed over.

His pupils shrank as he came back.

"Uncle Boris!"

Kai finally heard footsteps. His heart starting to race again.

He hoped they hurried...

The sack he was hiding under was itchy and dusty.

He was nervous, terrified, but excited all at once.

He'd never have to see Boris again. See this place again!

He'd find his papa somehow, and somehow he'd get them home. Forget about all this and just go back to grandpa and grandma.

As the footsteps drew closer, he smacked his hand over his nose and mouth.

Not a sound...

He froze as he heard the crate door being opened again.

…Why were they coming back in here?

...Why weren't they just leaving?

The thuds of shoes hitting the wood were slow and ominous.

He needn't keep his hand over his mouth. He'd stopped breathing.

His heart ran like a mouse cornered by a cat.

Please...just hurry up...close the crate.

Drive away...

With a sickening swish, the sack was pulled off, a light plume of dust flying off.

And murderous lilac eyes burning in to his soul...

* * *

Hours later, the dark evening clouds that had been hanging in the sky above finally unleashed the rain.

It started softly, but soon packed a punch.

Rei stood himself up. Raining always meaning the end of training outside.

Kai's battered and bruised body heaved itself off the ground. Exhausted and sore from the beating and the painful positions Boris was making him do.

"_**On the ground!" **_Boris bellowed through the curtain of rain, "You are done when I say you are done!"

Ray snapped his head to him.

"Ray, you are dismissed."

The young Chinese boy side glanced Kai.

He was already struggling. His bruised body struggling to bend and stretch like Boris was demanding.

They were simple enough for him. But he remembered when Bo started training him when he first arrived.

It had ranged anywhere from uncomfortable to agony, depending on the position.

"I said you are dismissed!"

Ray nodded his head politely and took a step back, sending a look at Bo as well as he stepped away and head under the cover of the tent.

Kai's quickly dampening hair began to stick to his tired, pale face as he slowly and reluctantly kneeled back down on the rain spattered ground.

"Splits. How far can you go by yourself?" Boris spat.

Kai trembled as he bit the inside of his bottom lip as not to cry.

His muscles and joints screamed in pain as it was. He couldn't do any more...

"I asked you a question! Now show me!"

He let out a defeated whimper as he placed his hands flat on the quickly muddying ground and lifted his hips.

His young leg muscles begged him not to.

He shifted his feet apart, feeling the shooting pain starting already.

As they shifted wider, the more it hurt, and the more it took not to cry.

He finally stopped after he reached his limit. Still a sizeable distance from the ground and his pelvis.

Boris's face snarled.

"You think this is good enough? That this even comes close to the splits? Are you that useless, you cannot even manage such a simple thing?!"

Kai lifted his pain riddled face up to try and look at him.

"I'm trying! I can't! It hurts!" he pleaded, desperate to stop.

"Hurts?" Boris chuckled, "My boy, you don't know the meaning of the word yet. The life of a performer can be summed up with one simple expression. _No pain, no gain_. And you are yet to begin..."

The heavy raindrops masked the tears that gave up and fell.

"Bo." Boris barked, "Get him in to the right position...push him down in to it."

Bo stared back.

"But Boris..." he replied weakly and quietly.

"Do as I _**say**_!"

Bo wanted to argue. To say no.

But what good would that do?

He stepped out from under the cover of the tent and hurried up to the struggling child, kneeling himself behind him.

He wanted to say something to brace the lad for it. But he knew there was nothing that would help.

This would be painful...

He took hold of his legs, pushing them further apart than they already were, flinching as he heard the yelp.

Using his weight, be pushed down on his thighs to lower him down on to the ground, feeling every gasp, cry and plea as if he were feeling it himself.

He remembered when they did this to him, too back in the old country.

The howls of agony were endless.

"_**Stop! Stoopp! It hurts!" **_he hollered as his legs were being stretched in to the unnatural position and held there. His entire lower body burning and feeling like it was being torn, dislocated. Like his thigh bones were being pulled from their sockets.

Rain dripped off the rim of Boris' hat as he stood and watched, showing no sign of letting him stop.

"Hold it!"

Bo bit in to his own lip as he pushed down on the boy's legs to keep them down, his crying and shaking hurting him more to do it.

This was the most barbaric way to do this...Boris had never asked him to do it like this. Even with Ray, it was a gradual process.

"_**PLEASE! I'M **_**SORRY!"** the boy screamed.

"Not yet, you aren't!" Boris bellowed back.

Bo couldn't stand it any more.

"Boris! Please! Listen to me! I know he needs to be punished, but this will damage him more than is worth!"

Boris snarled at him and carefully considered.

"I swear it, Boris! This will cause permanent damage and affect how he performs in the future..."

Boris clicked his tongue.

"...Very well. Let the little wretch up..."

He was gentle and took his time, but slowly he got the sobbing lad back on his feet.

Boris on the other hand, was less than gentle as he stormed over and grabbed his bruised arm.

"We're done for tonight...but that doesn't mean you rest easy. You wanted to escape in a beast's crate? You can sleep like one of the beasts!"

He began to drag him, his pain ridden legs flaring up as he was forced to move and got dragged along the mud.

By the time they reached the building that housed the stables and cages, he was soaked to the bone.

Boris threw him in an empty cage.

"Sleep well. You resume your training with me tomorrow..." he sneered as he slammed the cage door closed with a loud clank, bolting it shut.

After the adrenaline wore off a little, he began to shiver. His wet body and clothes with pieces of straw stuck too it starting to grow cold.

Ray came in the next morning ready to clean the animals.

He found his tent mate in one of the cages with blue lips and a raging fever.

He found Marta, who took him to her trailer. He didn't see Kai for a week after that.

But what he did see was Marta rage at Boris something awful. He'd never seen her that angry.

When the weird-haired brat walked back in to their tent for the first time, Ray felt something like relief.

He thought maybe he'd died or something...

He put his extra pillow on Kai's bed that night...let him have a comfortable first night back.

But as expected, all he did was lay quietly and look at his pocket watch.

* * *

Kai and Ray walked side by side in silence, having just been scared out their tent by a ferocious tiger.

Ray walked with a pout.

It had been a while since Driger shut him out. Stopped their connection.

How come he couldn't shut Driger out when he was pissed at him?

It was annoying...

Almost as annoying as the person walking next to him.

"Now what?" he asked, knowing it was pointless.

He'd get cold shouldered.

"I dunno. Go find somewhere else to sleep, I guess." the husky voice answered.

Ray lifted a brow.

Well, he'd be damned.

"I doubt there's anywhere else for us to sleep, apart from maybe with the animals."

Kai fired him a look as he felt an involuntary shiver go down his spine.

Once was enough.

"Can you talk to him yet?"

Ray tried and Kai waited.

"Nah. He's being as stubborn as you are."

"Well, great..."

They continued walking aimlessly in silence.

Ray occasionally side-glanced at him.

He didn't like fighting with Kai like this. But it happened a bit more than he cared for.

Probably due to living in such close proximity. A small tent was hardly conducive to peaceful cohabiting.

As much of an asshole as he was. As stuck up as he was. As mean as he could be and as stubborn as he could be, he was still, somehow, his best friend and closest comrade here.

How that happened, he didn't really know.

But what he did know, was how to soften him up a little.

"Well, instead of sleeping there, how about we sneak in to the see the animals while Boris is busy with the shows?"

Kai felt something.

But no way he'd show it on his face.

"Sure...May as well." he shrugged, "Nothing better to do."

Ray's fang slipped out as he smirked.

He could be as cool as he wanted, but he knew Kai getting to spend some time with the animals was as big of a treat for him as...well, a child coming to see them.

They weaved their way through the circus camp, avoiding getting anyone's attention.

Finally, without distraction, they arrived at a familiar structure.

It wasn't locked while some of the animals were out working, so 'sneaking in' was hardly an issue.

The fear of angering Boris by going in without permission was usually the issue.

As they stepped in, Kai felt his stomach bubble in excitement.

He never had permission to come in here.

Very rarely did he come in to contact with the only performers he wanted to be close with.

He saw from afar, barely.

A few in particular he hadn't really seen in a long time. Somehow their paths never crossed, even in a small place like the circus grounds.

Rei knew who he wanted to see.

"Wanna go say hi to Tiny Tim first?"

Kai's head nearly exploded.

"Sure..."

As they reached the large cage, Ray dashed off, coming back with a small bag and a ring of keys, flicking through them, trying to find the thick brass one.

Kai waited impatiently as he eyed the mass that lived inside.

The metal bars swang open, amber eyes turning to him and stepping aside.

"After you..."

Kai graced him with a smirk, taking the offer and slowly stepping inside.

The smirk stretched in to a smile the moment his heard a small and lazy _pawoo._

"Hey, buddy. Long time no see. Bad time?" Kai asked as he stepped up to the sleepy yet kind orangey-yellow eyes embedded in wrinkled and beautiful grey skin.

Kai's eyes went down as he heard clinking, taking in those awful chains around Tiny's feet.

He felt for him. Being made to perform and then kept a prisoner.

Just like that bear he once saw.

He was glad he had Ray to take care of him at least. That was something. His handler wasn't a bad guy, either.

"You want a snack, Tiny?" Ray's voice came from behind him.

The elephant seemed to comprehend that word, his ears flapping slightly and his tired eyes brightening.

Kai looked down as something yellow got shoved in his face.

"Would you like to?" Ray asked.

Kai took the bunch of bananas.

"Do I just give him the whole thing or...?"

Rei smirked.

"Well, if you want it over and done with, he can manage it all. Otherwise one by one is fine."

His smirk grew when his grouchy friend snapped off one and held it out.

Of course he wanted to make it last.

Kai held the giggle that was fizzing in his gut as the long, grey trunk made it's way up to him to try and get his treat, the edges of the tip of the trunk flapping slightly.

He nervously held the fruit out, not sure why he was nervous. He knew Tiny was no threat. But still...that trunk made him feel all ticklish.

Tiny's long trunk wrapped around it, pulling it off him and lazily shoved it in his mouth, coming back for more seconds later.

Kai obliged.

And a third time.

And a fourth...

Until the whole bunch was sadly gone.

Ray leaned against the bars, arms folded.

"Say 'thank you', Tiny!"

The elephant's trunk wiggled it's way up, lazily scraping against Kai's chest and sliding up his face before he lethargically pat the slate hair on top of Kai's head, giving off a slightly more enthusiastic _pawoo_ than before.

Kai let the giggle slip, wiping his face of elephant trunk.

"You're welcome..."

Ray looked around.

"Better make our way round before the circus closes..." he ushered.

Kai would stay here too long and get them caught otherwise.

He held on a minute longer so Kai could pet him just a little bit longer before he dragged him out, locking the wise old looking gentle giant back in his cage to sleep with a happy belly full of bananas.

He took Kai to drop some nuts in for the chimps

Let him play with the dogs a little and laughing when all three of them jumped him and knocked him off his balance.

And last but not least...

Freshly back from the evening show and just undressed.

"Hey, Pearl..."

The pure white, ghostly yet graceful looking horse walked over tiredly, poking her graceful head over the stable gate. Her gentle brown eyes shone as she seemed to flutter her thick lashes at him.

Kai gently pet her soft nose.

"You were wonderful tonight. I saw the last part."

Ray looked over his shoulder as he fetched some treats for her too. Did he forget he was there every time he met them again. Talked to all of them like he talked to Driger.

He stepped back to him and handed him some apple.

"Here."

Kai took it quietly and offered it quickly. Would be rude to keep such a pretty girl waiting.

As she crunched and munched, he ran his fingers over her soft, white neck.

He loved all the animals (except Driger, of course...), but Pearl was his favorite.

She was his lady, even though they rarely got to see each other.

But whenever they did, she nuzzled him and nickered.

And right on cue, her white snout pushed against his pale face and nuzzled, earning her a snort.

Ray stood back and watched, just like with all the others. Let him enjoy it for once.

Besides, he was pretty sure he was the only one that had seen this side to Kai before.

...And he really liked to see it.

It was as rare a treat for him as this was for Kai.

"What brings you two here?"

Kai's head turned sharply, severing the nuzzle along with Ray, two teal eyes coming towards them, walking slowly with his hands behind his back.

"What brings you here?" Ray asked as he felt his eyes slit.

He had no business being here...

"I was coming to keep you two out of trouble."

Ray made a face.

"And what makes you think we would get in to any trouble?"

Brooklyn's face gave off a serene yet patronizing smile.

"Are you really asking why a fortune teller that question?"

Ray's brow arched back.

"Then why did a fortune teller ask what brought us here?"

Kai rolled his eyes.

"Driger got all pissy so had to step out for a while. Just came to see these guys for something to do. No trouble causing. ..."

Brooklyn smirked.

"Perhaps I should inform my uncle, have him brought here permanently..."

Ray near enough growled.

"Not necessary." Kai cut off. The last thing he needed was for those two to go at each other and get stuck in the middle again.

"Are you sure?"

Kai gave him a look. No, of course he wasn't. He'd rather that fleabag stayed in here.

But Ray would hate it.

Urgh. He wished Brooklyn wouldn't do things like this.

"Positive...now, are we in trouble?"

Brooklyn strolled his way over.

"Only if you don't leave in the next...oh, four minutes?" he informed as he reached out his hand to pet the snow white horse.

Pearl suddenly made an angry noise and lashed out to bite, making the usually calm red head recoil his hand.

Ray bit his cheek as not to laugh, making a mental note to lavish her with treats and give her an extra good brush tomorrow.

"Hey!" Kai scolded, getting an affectionate nose push in mushy apology back.

"Well..." Brooklyn let out with a slight biting tone of his own, "Shall we? Wouldn't want to ruin things with Uncle just as your measurements for the new costume got put in..." he reasoned as he straightened himself, shooting Ray a look.

Was the beast boy trying to get him in Boris' bad books or something?

"Hence why I'm surprised you would come in here..."

Kai nodded, ignoring the last part as he give his lady one last farewell pat before tearing himself away from her.

He got a sad and longing whinny in return.

"Has Driger calmed down yet?" he asked flatly.

Ray checked.

"_As long as you two don't make a racket...because if you do..."_

"Yeh. Say's we can come back now."

"_Let me know when you're almost back..."_

"_Why?"_

"_His bed is __**soooo**__ comfortable..."_

Ray let out a snort.

"What's funny?" Kai asked.

"Nothing..." he answered smugly as he started to walk towards the open entranceway, followed by Kai.

Brooklyn narrowed his eyes at the horse before he followed suit.

...That horrible beast would end up like Ghost soon enough.

* * *

End of chapter!

Hope you enjoyed it!

I admit, this isn't my best work. I honestly just wanted this one done! XD

I hopefully won't take so long with the next!

Would love to know what you thought!

See you next time!


	7. The Great Houdini - Part 2

Hey everyone! How are you doing?

_**Super**_ long time no see! I honestly had no idea this story hadn't been updated in five months T.T .The hell did the time go?!

Arrrghhhhhh I can't tell you how happy I am to have an update for you for this!

I'm sorry for such a long gap. As always, life keeps getting in the way of writing. This story in particular had a severe lack of ideas and will to write for the longest time.

Very delayed thank you to those who left comments, and to those of you who have come back despite the long gap! Thank you so much!

As of Sunday, this story is a year old! That too is quite unbelievable!

Hope you're all keeping well and staying healthy in these crazy times!

Anyway, shall we? XD

* * *

The Great Houdini – Part 2

Things didn't get any better for Kai in the weeks after Boris caught him attempting escape. Again.

He tormented him.

The 'training' became rougher and more brutal, going until he dropped to his knees.

His rations were lacking, making his young stomach hurt with hunger while his over exerted body was pushed to its limit.

And yet, despite it all, he was no closer to figuring out how to use his skill.

But since that rainy night, the one where he watched Kai scream in pain and beg them to stop pushing his body into splits, Ray's demeanour around him changed.

Probably because Kai too had changed.

No longer did everything he say irritate him.

That was because he said even less than he did before. Almost a mute.

No longer did everything he do annoy him.

Perhaps because unless he was training or working, he was just silently curled up on his bed with his pocket watch.

He'd become a human shell. Hallow. Almost like a phantom.

He was miserable.

And Ray had no clue what to do or how to be around him.

But he'd brought that on himself, Ray thought.

He didn't learn the first time that Boris wouldn't let something as serious as a bid for escape go unpunished.

But at the same time...

He knew he just wanted to go back to his own forest, as Driger had put it.

He understood. If someone had ripped him from Bo and taken him far away to somewhere he didn't like or belong in, he was sure he'd try and find a way back to him.

Ray eyed him across the loud, busy table.

He was trying to make that tiny portion last, though he could see in his thin face that all he wanted to do was inhale it whole.

His eyes fell to his own full plate, suddenly not wanting it any more.

He wanted to go over there, tip half of his on to Kai's plate.

But Boris was right there...

As they finished, the crowds disbanding and clearing their dishes back, it was clear on his face that he was still starving.

Ray kept his head down, clearing his own plate away before sneaking back to their tent.

He sat on the edge of his bed and waited, wanting him to hurry back.

Another reversal from before...

His amber eyes turned to entrance as the fabric got pulled back.

He shuffled in, clearly exhausted with his eyes on the floor.

As always, he didn't say anything as he padded his way to his bed, flopping on to it and rolling over.

Ray sighed as he stared at the darker hair on the back of his head.

"Hey...you all right?"

"Hn..."

Ray nodded. That was about all he heard from him recently.

His hands patted his thighs before he slapped them and stood, taking the few steps to his side, reaching in to his pocket.

"I um...Here. Have this..."

In a slow turn, he finally got a glimpse of tired red eyes.

"You didn't get much for dinner..." Ray said as he held out a ball of crudely wrapped up napkin.

Kai's stomach screamed at him to sit up and take it, which he obeyed.

He opened it up to find an ever so slightly squished lump of bread.

"I'm sorry I couldn't sneak anything to go with it..." Ray said apologetically as he looked at the plain bread.

Kai couldn't have cared less, hungrily taking a bite out of it before he could stop himself.

He caught himself as he swallowed, finding his manners.

"Thank you...you didn't have to do that."

Ray's shoulders shrugged, turning on his heel to go back to his bed.

"Ah. You're welcome." he brushed off.

That night, Ray slept a little easier. The good deed making his eyes rest easier.

And Kai too, belly a little fuller managed to sleep a little more comfortably until the new day brought new grief at the ringmaster's hands.

The nights that followed, Ray also presented him with his bread.

As soon as he got comfortable slipping it out of the dining room, he got a little bolder.

The small lumps of slightly squashed bread started to be followed with chunks of cheese he'd managed to sneak out at lunchtime.

The odd piece of fruit if he was sneaky enough, unknowing of the smirk on Marta's face as he darted off with the apples under his shirt.

And those nights didn't merely mean Ray's heroic actions provided a little more nourishment for Kai.

It meant polite dinner conversation was required.

At first, Ray rabbited with anything and everything that came to memory about where he had come from. The mountains that still hazed his memory, the yellow river.

How Driger had always been there since before he could remember.

Kai nodded a little dumbly as he swallowed the sharp and nutty cheese that somehow tasted as divine as a Christmas feast back home.

"And just how exactly can you live next to a tiger? Are you not afraid he might attack you?"

Ray blinked and frowned.

"Why on earth would he attack me?" he asked in almost an amused tone.

Kai frowned back.

"Well...because he's a wild beast! It's in their nature is it not? All it would take would be a rumble in his stomach and he'd try and eat anything he could, right? Survival instincts."

Ray stared a few more moments before letting out a long snort, his head throwing back as he expelled a booming, cackling laugh.

...Which Kai didn't enjoy.

"What's so funny?"

"You!" Ray answered in a wheeze, "You think he'd just get hungry and eat me? Not a chance! He'd rather die! He's my best friend and my family!"

Kai scoffed back.

"And how do you know that for sure?"

Ray tilted his head.

"He told me."

Kai opened his mouth before stopping again.

"I beg your pardon?"

Ray snorted again.

"You talk funny sometimes..."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"What did you say?" he paraphrased for him.

"I said he told me...did you not know?"

"Know what?!" Kai asked impatiently.

But Ray scratched behind his pointed ear, deep in thought and not noticing or caring about his tent mate's haste.

"I could have sworn I mentioned it...Ohhhhh! That's right! You ran out screaming before I could explain. And then after that I didn't like you enough to tell you."

Kai's irate expression lifted.

"...You didn't like me?"

Ray shook his head.

"No. Did you like me?"

Kai frowned. But dodged the question...

"How come?! What did I do?!"

Ray crossed his arms and legs and pouted.

"Um. You got Driger kicked out. You talk like you're a Tsar or something. Act like one too. You think you're above everyone. For some reason Marta kept giving you deserts. But how come we don't get special treatment like that, your highness?!"

Kai mirrored him, sitting cross legged as well and staring at him from the opposite bed.

"I'm not a Tsar! And I don't think I'm above anyone! I don't know why Marta gave me those sweets!" he argued back before deflating, "But I did come from a much nicer place... There were lots of warm, comfy beds. There were fireplaces. There was a library full of books! There were so many rooms I didn't know what half of them were for! If the weather was nice, there was an enormous garden and grounds to go read and play in! And a pond! It had big orange and white fish in it! We had one that had a black mark that looked like a star on it!" he fired on a rant from nowhere, feeling his heart sink to new depths as he got struck with another case of soul crushing homesickness.

"When my grandpa and papa came home from the factory, I ate dinner with them and my grandma! It was always delicious and there was always plenty! Every night before bed we had hot baths and either my papa or grandma would read to me. Before I came here I started reading to them because I was getting really good at it!" his voice wobbled out ever so slightly.

Ray took in the long dump of information.

He wasn't so much impressed by the grand image of the home Kai's description conjured.

But more by the fact that that was the most he'd ever talked...

"That sounds...nice. So how come you're here?"

"I don't know!" he fired at him, eyes stinging more, "My papa took us away from there. He had a fight with my grandpa. He couldn't get the job he thought he had, so we ended up having to sleep on the streets with no money, food or anything. One night some men caught me trying to steal money from them and they attacked me and my papa. That's when the fire came out..." he explained as he looked at his hands.

"Not long after that, Bo came. I don't know how he found out about it but...papa gave me to him."

The tone of Kai's voice there made Ray's pointed ears lower sadly.

He knew he missed his papa terribly. It was evident from the constant clutching of his pocket watch.

He wanted to ask more.

But Bo scolded him a lot, saying it was rude to pry.

Besides, he didn't want Kai to be sad. He liked him much better when he was happy...

He got hit by an idea, pointed ears raising back up along with a small smile.

"Hey. I have an idea. Come with me!"

Kai didn't really get a choice in the matter. His wrists were grabbed excitedly and dragged out in to the dark evening. Quiet around the tents, but the sounds of the circus in full swing echoing over.

"Where are we going? We're not allowed out after dark!" Kai hissed, fearful of any more of Boris' wrath.

"Don't worry. It's fine!" Ray whispered back with a fanged grin as he preceded to drag him more through the maze of tents.

With a large, metallic clank and squeak, a large, tall door pushed open, two sets of big eyes peering through it.

"What is this place?" Kai whispered as a weirdly familiar smell hit his nose. A sweet, almost tangy smell.

Smelled like hay...

His crimson eyes brightened in the dark.

"Is this where the horses are kept!?" he whispered excitedly.

"Yeeeeep!" Ray answered, not bothering to whisper, "And all the other animals."

Kai had a little more of a spring in his step at that, bouncing in and almost doing circles around Ray.

Ray chuckled.

"I take it you like horses?"

"Uh huh! We have some at home! I fed them sometimes!"

"Heh, good. Maybe if you get on Boris' good side you can come help me out sometime."

Kai shuddered at the mere mention of his name.

He doubted that would happen any time soon.

Regardless, he followed Ray through the dark, the glint of metal illuminating the bars of the cages.

Since the circus was on, it was quiet for an animal house.

It finally clicked for Kai.

Weren't the horses out performing right now?

Not long after the thought had crossed his mind, they stopped.

Through the dark, striking green eyes sat behind the bars.

Kai recoiled back, only for Ray to grab his wrist again and hold him in place.

"He's not scary! I promise! That's why I brought you here! To prove it!" he pleaded, his golden eyes glowing through the dim room as brightly as Driger's.

Kai looked back at him a moment.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

Ray smiled, coaxing him closer to the edge of the bars.

"_Driger. Come to the bars, would you? Nice and slow..."_

As the large white tiger lifted himself lazily, Kai felt his heart race.

The beast took the few lazy steps until it's pink nose was almost pressed against the bars.

"Now, come on..." Ray cooed, holding Kai's hand to guide him to pet his best friend, "He'll let you touch him..."

Kai's hand followed.

Until suddenly the tiger's mouth threw open, enormous sharp teeth on display, as well as the pink ridges that roofed his mouth while a rumbling noise came out of him.

Kai let out an almighty shriek as he snapped his hand back, falling back on his butt in fright.

Ray frowned.

"_DRIGER!"_

The tiger's mouth closed again, yawn finished.

"_What? You woke me..." _he replied innocently.

Ray frowned harder, deciding he didn't have time to scold him right now.

He turned his attention back to Kai.

"That was a yawn! I swear! Just bad timing! He wouldn't have bitten you! Honest!" he protested, taking his wrist up and yanking him back up again.

Kai didn't even really get a chance to protest, already pulled up to his feet and getting dragged.

"Here. Try again. He's real soft..." Ray encouraged, hand around Kai's wrist in a death grip to stop him from bolting.

Kai's heart slammed in his ribcage at the rate of a mouse being cornered by a cat.

The large cat seemed to sit with noble patience as they eased his hand closer. Green eyes almost glowing in the dark.

Kai scrunched his eyes shut as his hand reached the bars, shortly after feeling soft and warm fur.

His eyes peeled open again, following along his arm to his still intact hand stroking the pretty white and black fur.

There were no ferocious teeth. There was no snarling or roaring.

In fact, his wild green eyes held a docile and placid feeling to them.

Ray's mouth stretched in to a pleased grin, fang slipping out.

"There you go...See? I told you he was friendly." he said happily as he let go of his wrist.

Kai's fingers still ran gently over the fur, brain finally processing that he was touching a real tiger.

He looked around in the cage he was kept in.

It wasn't overly big...

It was large enough for him to stand up or lay down. But not to really move around in.

"...Is this where he stays?"

Ray nodded.

"Uh huh. Unless he's out practising with me."

Kai felt a little bad.

Because of him, he was cooped up in here.

He didn't seem that bad...

And come to think of it, the first time he'd met him in their tent, where as Ray so wonderfully recalled, he had run out screaming, Driger hadn't come in snarling or growling.

He just...walked in.

Besides, after everything Ray had been doing for him. The food sneaking, the companionship,

maybe he should give something back as well...

"I don't suppose...Driger might like to come and sleep back in the tent, would he?"

Ray's pointed ears picked up.

"Huh?!"

Kai finally took his hands away from the bars and turned his eyes to face him.

"Driger. Would he be more comfortable in the tent?"

The fanged grin came back.  
"YES! Of course he would!" he bounced, eyes getting ever brighter, "Are you saying he can come back?!"

Kai nodded timidly.

"I suppose it would be wrong of me to kick him out his own home...but uh...you _promise_ he never bites or scratches or anything?" he asked once again, needing the conformation.

Ray nodded almost tiredly.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeees...I've told you a zillion times."

Kai shifted his feet.

He could live with Ray and a tiger in that tent, right?

He didn't have much more time to consider it.

Once again, Ray had grabbed his wrist, darting out while dragging him behind him like a human kite.

He took him directly to Bo's tent, calling for him relentlessly outside of it.

"Ray! For goodness sake, what is it? You both should be in your own tents!" he scolded slightly.

"But Bo! Kai said he's ready to have Driger come live with us again! So can we go let him out!?"

Bo blinked, looking between the two boys.

Kai just stared at him with little going on on his face, where as Ray looked like he might explode.

"I'll have to run it by Boris first..."

He saw them both deflate in unison.

Boris probably wouldn't allow it if it was something Kai had asked for. Not yet at least.

He gave a sympathetic smile.

"I'll see what I can do lads. But now it really is past your curfew. Back to your tent and I'll talk to him in the morning." he bargained, sending the two young boys on their way.

They lay quietly on their backs, staring at the top of the tent while the last sounds of the circus began to die out.

The patrons were going home. The lights were going out.

Another night at the circus was over.

"Hey, Kai?"

"Hn?"

"You said you had horses where you came from."

"That's right."

"How come?"

Kai rolled his head over to look at him on the other side with an arched brow.

What did he mean 'how come'?

"To take us places, of course."

Ray rolled his eyes over to meet his.

"So you can ride them?"

Kai scoffed.

"No. They pull our carriage."

Ray shook his head.

"I don't like that..."

"Don't like what?"

"The people that I see with horses and carriages coming in here. I doubt the horses like pulling those heavy things around so long. And they have those whips..."

Kai's head rolled back to look at the ceiling.

He'd never thought about it like that.

"I don't think they really whip them. Our drivers just tapped them with it to let them know to go faster. They didn't seem unhappy..."

"Don't know that they're happy though, can't ask 'em." Ray countered.

Kai's head turned back to him.

He did have a point.

His horses never seemed _un_happy.

At least, he really hoped they weren't...

He wondered what they were all doing now...

"...Is Driger happy?"

Ray lazily looked back.

"Well, not right now on count of the cage isn't very comfortable..."

Kai shrank.

...Oops...

"But what about being here? What about having to train up and knowing he has to perform?"

Ray thought about it before shrugging.

"He's never really said anything about it. I guess he's the same as me. As long as we're together...and besides, this is better than being stuck with the guys who took us. Who knows where we might have ended up if Boris hadn't wanted us."

Kai eyed him quietly.

Yeh...maybe.

And maybe it was the same for him. To an extent.

Here there was a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in.

The food was lacking right now due to punishment, but he got fed every day.

Unlike when he lived on the streets with his father...

But still, he'd rather have an empty belly than an empty heart.

Ray at least had Driger. And it seemed Bo had sort of become his new papa.

He had no one...

His papa was lord knows how far away...

He wondered where he was sleeping tonight, and if he'd managed to eat...

The next morning, Ray was up not long after the sun, pushing a broom as the stables became more and more light.

He stopped a moment to stretch his hands and check for splinters.

He hated this broom...

His ears perked as he heard the familiar clink of the doors opening, shuffling out to peer around and see.

Black boots echoed on the stone floor.

"Ah. Good morning, Ray." the gravelly voice greeted.

Ray pulled himself out the stable, standing straight.

"Good morning, Boris."

The ringmaster strolled up with a thin smile and his hands behind his back.

The early morning version without his vibrant red coat.

"I understand you and your room mate have something you want to ask me?" his voice slithered, giving him a crooked smile.

Ray tensed.

"Um...Yes, actually. See, Kai said he wouldn't mind having Driger sleep in with us. And I know Driger would much rather have his bed- Not that he isn't grateful for what he has!" he added quickly, not wanting to set Boris off on the wrong impression, "It's just we're better together..."

Boris eyed him and took in what he'd said.

"And how did our newest recruit come to such a conclusion?"

Ray sensed an opportunity. A small one. But something that could at least smooth a little of the rough edges around Boris' anger towards Kai.

"I think he's just starting to get used to our circus. I always tell him about Driger. About how we're a team. I think he wants us to be able to be back together..."

Boris' brow raised.

"Oh? You think he's getting accustomed to our little world?"

He highly doubted that...not from his own observations and the grief the little runt had given him.

But...perhaps when he was not there, when he was around his peers...

Ray nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Boris went in to thought for a moment before his hands went back behind his back, sly smile back on his face.

"Well...I guess it would be cruel to keep you and Driger separated for longer than necessary..." he started to pace, smirking harder as Ray visibly lit.

"However..."

The light stopped.

"If I do this for you, I need you to do something for me..."

Ray's big, golden eyes stared up at him, waiting.

"Any strange or irregular behaviour...any signs that our new boy is unhappy or considering doing something foolish...you'll report to me immediately, won't you?"

Ray felt a shudder of discomfort sink from his throat down to his belly like a warm ice cube.

He doubted Kai would ever try and run again.

But he didn't want to spy on him...

Boris grew impatient quickly.

"The way I see it, someone as honest as you, someone who works so hard in my circus, combined with a beast so strong make the perfect guards. Almost impossible to evade and outdo...Driger can by all means return to your tent...but if I found out Kai simply managed to slip away under your watch...well...then Driger would live out his days in that cage..."

The feeling of discomfort grew...

But then, did he really have to worry?

Like he said, he doubted Kai would run again...

"Am I making myself clear?" the ever impatient voice asked.

"...Yes, Boris."

The smirk stretched wider.

"...Good. I'm glad we could come to such a fair arrangement." he concluded as he turned on his heel to walk back from where he'd come.

"As you were..."

A little while later, after the rest of the circus rose from their slumber and were done filling their bellies, Kai stood on a stool with his sleeves rolled up, scrubbing away at a stubborn clump of burnt char from a pan.

"Kai!" Marta barked as she stormed her way in to the cramped kitchen, "Boris says you start in ten minutes. Here. Eat this..." she beckoned as she slammed a plate of bits and pieces of left over food on the side for him.

Mariam's long hair swished, her green eyes snapped in their direction, looking instantly outraged.

"And what about all these?!" she gestured at the mountain of dirty dishes.

Marta stared her down.

"Would you like to tell Boris he must wait?"

She got a powerful stare of disdain back. But the grouchy, older sister snapped her head back and went back to work.

"Stupid runt...gets away with everything and doesn't even have his gift under control yet..." she muttered.

Of course, loud enough for Kai and Marta to hear.

"Eat your breakfast, boy..." she ordered gruffly back, seeing Kai just stand there awkwardly.

He obeyed, as he was getting quite good at...

His plate was only half finished when a light knock came at the door.

"Helllooo?" an airy voice called through.

Marta looked up from her mixing bowl.

"Ah. Brooklyn. What brings you here?"

"I've come to pick Kai up."

She frowned.

Since when did he need escorting?

"Pffft. Oh what? He needs his hand held now, too?" Mariam scoffed, "Isn't he the same age as Ray!? He isn't a baby for heaven's sake!"

Brooklyn remained in the door, smiling in.

"I'm aware, dear Mariam. I'm neither here to hold his hand nor baby him...I actually need to speak with my uncle myself and thought he may enjoy walking with me was all."

Mariam scowled at him.

"Buuuuut it's always so _refreshing _to see your pretty green eyes. Matches your insides..." he smirked.

Marta slammed down her spoon.

It was too early for these kids and their bickering.

"Oh, go shove your tarot cards up your-"

"Enough!" Marta spat, "Kai, finish up. Don't keep Brooklyn waiting." she ordered.

The sooner those two were out of sight, the sooner Mariam would shut up and get on with her work.

Kai hustled, shoving in the last chunk of bread and jam down his throat while he could and dashing to put the dish among the others.

He swallowed a little too quickly, feeling the large, doughy lump struggle to slide down his throat.

His cheeks puffed, fighting a cough and instantly getting redder in the face.

Brooklyn stepped forward.

"Are you all right?" he asked casually, getting a nod back.

Brooklyn gave a smile, hand going to pat him on the back.

"No need to rush that much. I can wait until you swallow your food..."

His eyes quickly darted to Mariam and back again as his hand came to contact with the younger boy's back.

Show time...

He let out a gasp.

"Kai!"

The startling finally unlodged the bread, letting it slide down uncomfortably.

"Yes!?" he squeaked.

Brooklyn beamed staring intently in to his wide, red eyes, hand still placed firmly on his back.

"I just had a vision! I saw flames! _Glorious_ flames! Unlike I've ever seen! And it was _you_ making them! I saw you in the big top! They adored you!"

Kai gaped at him.

Marta too stopped what she was doing, mouth hanging open.

"Brooklyn...you _did_?!" her voice exclaimed in a crackled pitch.

Thank the lord...that poor boy would figure it out!

Mariam's face grew sour and quiet.

"Yes!" Brooklyn answered excitedly, "Every seat was taken! Every set of eyes mesmerised! I'm not clear on when...I couldn't make it out. But it seems like your hard work will pay off! You will become a sensation! The main act!" he rolled on, not so subtly taking his smug teal eyes to meet green.

Completely green...

He slapped the younger, speechless boy on the back again.

"Come! Uncle is waiting!" he ushered, leading him out the door in a hurry.

"Thank you for breakfast, Marta!" the redhead added politely, "And thank you too Mariam...you are awfully good behind the scenes..."

Mariam gripped the knife in her hand tighter and grit her teeth, not even giving him the satisfaction of looking at him.

It didn't help that Marta decided she was still excited by the vision.

"Ah! What a relief! The sooner that boy is able to give Boris what he wants, the slower my greys and wrinkles will come in..."

Mariam slammed the blade down on the onion.

She knew Brooklyn was toying with her. Trying to get under her skin...

He had that awful personality of enjoying jabbing his spindly fingers in to tender nerves.

And sadly, he was incredibly gifted at it...

But she would not rise to his baiting.

She didn't even really believe his so-called _vision_.

Since she'd been here, _she _had been the one they came to see.

The _Rusalochka_...

A real life mermaid...

Hours of being in the airtight tank without needing to come for air. Enchanting and amazing the young and old alike.

Over her time, she'd gotten good at winning her crowd and earning her keep.

A hand on the glass reaching out to the young gentleman who admired her beauty.

A warm smile to the little girls who stared in awe wishing it were them.

Interaction through the water. That was the key.

Make them feel as if the small, man-made lagoon were real...

Because although she didn't have a real tail, _she_ _was_ real...

Her gift was real. It saved her. Got her her freedom from her lunatic mother...

And her gift was doubtless in the eyes of the crowd that adored her.

There was no other explanation as to how she could remain submerged in water all that time without drowning.

_She_ knew all their gifts were real.

She knew Brooklyn really _could_ see the future.

He was quite popular. He was young, kooky and interesting. His sense of mysticism was well loved.

But he was a 'fortune teller'. There was no proof that his visions were correct until they happened.

To the guests, he was probably a mere novelty to everyone but the overly gullible.

She knew Ray and Driger could speak to each other.

Ray was slowly gaining popularity as he grew old enough to feature more. And no doubt as he and Driger grew, so would their popularity.

But he was still too young to be main stage.

Right now, the crowds watched from behind the safety of cage bars and watched in amusement and fearful curiosity as the unique looking boy played with and made a large wild cat sit and perform tricks like they would with their pet dogs at home.

But to them, was that magical? Unbelievable?

Animals could be trained...

They couldn't _prove_ Ray had a connection with that beast.

The knife came down again.

But _**him**_...

Some privileged, stuck up little brat...who came out of nowhere...

He could hold fire in his hands and not burn.

He could kill a flame and reduce it to mere smoke with a look.

She'd seen it herself.

And that alone was amazing...

She felt her stomach drop.

Imagine what he could do if he worked out how to really control it. Manipulate it.

What if he could conjure it from thin air?

It would be spectacular.

Never before seen...

And undoubtable...just like her.

She sucked in a deep, angry breath through her nose as she glared at the onion, slamming the small blade.

She would not be cast out.

Of the circus. Or her position.

Blazing fire or not. Spectacular or not.

Water put fire out every time...

**To be continued...**

* * *

End of chapter!

I really hope you enjoyed it and would course love to know what you thought!

I do have some of the next chapter written already, so I'm sure I will be able to give another one much sooner than 5 months from now XD.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope to see you soon!

Until next time, take care!


	8. The Great Houdini - Part 3

Heyyyyy!

Ohhhhh this poor fic...hasn't been updated since MARCH?!

If anyone has been wanting an update and thought I'd died, I can only apologize.

Usual spiel...work being a douche and taking all my time and energy.

Honestly, about 50% of this chapter has been ready since right after the last update. Which is frustrating as all hell.

If any of you happen to read any of my other fics, they are all in the process of being updated. I can't promise all of them getting done quickly, but this is the second of the five WIPS getting updated! So getting there!

Thanks to you for coming back, if you're here. And thank you to those who left comments for the last chapter!

Without further ado, here is an update finally! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The Great Houdini – Part 3

Ray walked with a a spring in his step and his head held higher than it had been in a long time as he walked through the maze of tents.

And the reason for his jaunty appearance walked beside him, strong strides leaving paw prints in the dirt as his shoulder blades rolled slowly along side him.

They hadn't gone dreadfully long without living together, but long enough that this was a big day. Ray had missed his warm mass of fur to huddle in to at night, and Driger had missed his pile of pillows while sleeping on the hard ground.

...And Ray, of course.

As they approached the familiar tent, Ray let out a toothy smile as he saw a sight he wasn't expecting.

Out the front, stood awkwardly with his hands clasped and hanging in front of him, Kai waited.

"_He looks like he's waiting to greet royalty..." _Driger's deep voice tittered inside his head.

Ray's smirk grew larger.

"_And here we thought __**he**__ was the Tsar..."_

The majestic feline duo reached the gates of their palace, standing in front of their...guard? Servant?

Jester?

Whatever his title was, he shifted awkwardly.

"H-hello, Driger..." he greeted uncomfortably.

The wild cat's deep green eyes blinked slowly, face unchanging.

Kai waited, feeling more tense by the moment.

He stayed where he was, but leaned towards Ray, hiding his mouth with his hand.

"Did he understand me...?" he whispered.

Ray tried not to snort.

"Yes..." he whispered back.

Kai blinked at him.

"Well...then...is he going to answer me?" he continued to whisper.

"He doesn't talk?"

Kai huffed.

"Well...did he say something to you?"

"_Just tell him I said hello so he'll let us through..."_ Driger told him tiredly.

"He says hello and that he's happy to be back home." Ray relayed to him.

"_I only said to say hello..."_

"_Shh..."_

Kai rubbed his hands together and sank.

"I uh...me too? I'm sorry you had to stay there so long because of me..." he told the tiger.

The tiger let out a sound that sounded like a sigh.

He just wanted his pillows...

Kai turned to Ray for a reply.

Ray looked to Driger. He hadn't said anything back...

"_What do you want me to tell him, your highness?"_

He frowned when he was met with more silence.

"_Driger...you're not actually holding it against him, are you?"_

He didn't think he was...

Especially not when it was him trying get Ray to be a little more understanding of Kai and less irritated by him.

The tiger finally stepped forward, heavy paws thudding as he did, making Kai freeze up.

Didn't matter how friendly Ray said he was, that thing could still kill in him in the blink of an eye...

His heart pumped cold blood as the tiger slowly yet quickly came nose to nose with him...

He let out a shuddering breath.

Only to then have a furry skull push in to the side of his face and rub.

Ray's worry wiped right off his face, and laughed a little as he saw Kai's hand reach out and pet him so nervously it was almost pathetic.

This was going to be great!

They were all going to live together. And after a little time to get used to each other, Kai and Driger would be friends, too.

They'd have their own little forest, as it were. And maybe, that would mean Kai wouldn't feel so far away from his.

Finally, after the warm reunion and making up, Kai finally held the fabric of their doorway to welcome Driger home.

Ray's smile seemed to stretch even further.

It seemed his Lordship had even gone as far as to spruce the place up a little.

The beds looked more decently made than when Ray had left to go get him. The pillows fluffed and plumped up.

Driger let out a happy chuff, trotting and hopping with ease on to Ray's bed to undo Kai's hard work.

He rolled on his back, rubbing away on it.

Ray wasn't far behind him, diving on to the small space on his bed and petting him like he hadn't seen him in years.

Kai sauntered his way to his own bed, sitting himself on the edge and just watching.

He had a good feeling in his chest, which he hadn't in a long time.

But it wasn't to last long.

"Hellloooo?" a drawling voice came from the other side of the tent.

The three of them moved to face the entrance way, just in time for it to be peeled back again to show a pale face with peacock colored eyes peering through.

Ray sat up quickly.

"Hello Brooklyn..." he replied back with a tone less jovial than he had all day, "Need something?"

A mellow smile appeared.

"Oh, I'm just here to come get Kai. Become sort of a habit now...But ooooh, I see Driger is back in with you. That's nice..."

Driger ungracefully manoeuvred to sit himself properly, also giving a slightly less friendly chuff in greeting.

"It is..." Ray replied politely.

Kai arched a brow as he looked between them.

"I suppose I ought to be going now..." he sighed a little sadly as he hopped off his bed.

Now to ruin any nice feeling he had by going to spend another day with Boris.

Ray's arm reached out and rested on Driger's back, patting his white and black fur.

"All right. Well, good luck. Hope something happens today." he bid to his room mate.

Kai gave a nod in thanks.

So did he...

He took himself out of the tent, walking beside the older, taller redhead.

He didn't know why Brooklyn had suddenly started coming to get him and walking with him, but in a way, he was appreciative that he did.

He seemed to have his back against Mariam when she was being mean to him.

Another friend wouldn't be so bad in this place.

But still, he wondered...

"Brooklyn?"

"Hm?" the other asked with a head turn and a smile.

"Why _are_ you fetching me now?"

The other let out a chuckle before shrugging, hooking his thumbs through his braces and running them down them.

"Because I want to."

Kai frowned in question.

"But...why?"

"I guess I like you is all. Couldn't help but notice you weren't exactly easing in to our little family, so thought I'd make the effort to help."

"Oh..." was all Kai answered for a moment.

Why did no one like him?! He didn't do anything wrong.

"Well...thank you."

Their shoes crunched against the dirt and patchy grass a few more times before Brooklyn came to a halt.

"Kai...do you know who I am?" his sleepy voice asked out of the blue.

The younger's feet stopped with him, giving him a puzzled look.

"Well...You're Brooklyn?"

"Annnd?" he prompted.

"You're a fortune teller?"

"_Annnnnnnnnd?_"

"...You're Mr. Boris' nephew..."

"Exaaaacttllly!" Brooklyn's smooth voice eased out slowly and happily, "I am his only blood relative. His only heir. And despite being but a mere child, my gift means he's become more prone to heed my advice..."

Kai tilted his head.

That was...nice? For him at least...

Brooklyn's teal eyes glanced at him, knowing he wasn't catching his drift yet.

"What I'm trying to get at is, I understand what it's like having few friends here. I don't know why people tend not to warm to me, why they seem to back away from me, but I know how you feel. So...I figured...we could make an alliance." he shrugged again, "You seem like a quiet type, I'm a quiet type. People don't take to you easy, people don't take to me easy. You seem somewhat more educated than most of these clowns here, I too am someone who enjoys books rather than people..." he listed off, solidifying his reasoning.

Kai nodded slowly, still somewhat bewildered as to where this all came from.

"I...you have books?" his young brain landed on.

Brooklyn's eyes glinted.

"I do. You're more than welcome to borrow some, if you'd like. Would be nice to have someone to talk to about them."

Kai's eyes lit up back.

"That would be nice...thank you."

Brooklyn smirked, feeling like his bid for friendship had been accepted.

"Of course..."

The crunching along the dirt and grass continued.

An hour later, Boris let out a booming, victorious cackle.

"_Wonderful_ Kai!"

Kai looked at his own hands, wide eyed.

How had he done that?!

The pit Boris had made was filled with mere glowing embers and coal.

He had made it an inferno. Flames blazing up high in to the air and thrashing before reducing back to mere embers.

It had all happened so fast, but it was enough to please Boris.

Brooklyn sat on the wooden crate, kicking his legs gently with a growing smile.

"Wow...that was something!"

Boris threw a crude grin his way.

"It was! After so long of nothing, we finally have something!"

"Quite..." Brooklyn nodded in half enthused agreement, "But I do believe we should be taking Kai back to rest now, uncle."

Boris let out a gruff sound of confusion as he snapped his head round to face him.

"I'm sorry?"

Brooklyn slid himself off the crate, dusting off his backside.

"I said I do think we really ought to let Kai rest. It really wouldn't do anyone well to exhaust him on the cusp of a breakthrough..." the younger boy told him with a strong, telling look in his eyes as he stared intently at his uncle.

The bloodshot lilac eyes narrowed, weighing up his options.

"Very well. Back to the tent to rest, Kai. We shall resume later on this evening."

Kai's stomach dropped. Both happily and confused.

What just happened?!

Brooklyn's hands went behind his head as he started to stroll by.

"Yes, come along Kai. I'll walk you back..."

Kai didn't need telling again.

He trotted along beside the older boy again, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds until Boris was well out of sight and earshot.

"...What was that?" Kai whispered. He never could be too careful.

Brooklyn let out an amused chuckle.

"Remember what I said before? About the benefit of forming an alliance?"

Kai blinked. Yet again.

"Yes?"

"Well. That was Exhibit A. Can't abuse that power too often you understand. But when I can...Would you like to come and browse my book collection? Since we have the time?"

Kai's confused face turned in to a smile.

"Yes, I would..."

Later that afternoon, Ray and Driger returned to the tent to find Kai laying on his bed with his head in a book.

"Hey..." Ray greeted with a bewildered tone.

Since when was he back before him?

"Hello. Did you have a good day?"

"So far so good...and yours?"

Kai threw himself upright on the bed, looking more animated than he had been, pretty much since he arrived.

"Good! I managed to get some fire going and then Boris gave me the afternoon to rest. Brooklyn took me to his tent and let me borrow one of his books. He said this one is his favorite."

Ray eyed him, feeling something in his gut.

Why? Why that slime ball of all people?

"Oh...what's it about?"

"This one is about a doctor who can talk to animals." he smiled broadly at him, "Like you! Only he can talk to all of them."

Ray made a face.

Well...good for the doctor...

"Oh...interesting. Soooo you got the fire to go? That's great! Know how you did it?"

He closed the book and sighed.

"Sadly not. I feel like its just a fluke at the best of times. What if I never can control it and make it do it on cue?" he asked as he turned his sad eyes to him

Ray let a fang slip out as he moved to sit beside him, slapping his back.

"Ah, you will! I know you will. Just need some time."

"That's what Brooklyn said too. And he saw it in one of his vision things, so I guess I should feel safe. But weirdly, I don't..."

Ray made another face as it went quiet between them.

"...Be careful with Brooklyn." he said in a low voice after a little silence, knowing that really he should keep his mouth shut.

Driger lifted his head from the floor, beady eyes staring at his youngling to confirm it as well.

Kai frowned.

"Hn? Why?"

"Just...he doesn't have a good reputation here. Only with Boris on the count of being related. But he's known for stirring trouble."

The frown deepened.

"He seems perfectly pleasant to me. An unusual chap, granted, but friendly and kind." he defended.

Ray sighed again.

"Yes. He's being nice to you. So I can see...That's fine and all. I'm just saying, watch your back. One bad word to Boris from him..."

Kai scoffed.

"Well he actually is doing the opposite. He's helping me slowly win favour with him."

Ray lifted a brow.

"He is?"

Kai nodded.

"He is. He paints me in a good light to him. Even if my hands haven't worked, he reassures him they will from his visions. It quells some of his anger."

Ray listened and made himself nod.

That was good...

And what the heck did 'quell' mean?

He was weird...

But it didn't stop the niggle in his gut as to why Brooklyn was taking a shine to him.

He'd known Brooklyn a lot longer than Kai.

He'd seen what he was like..

There was no way he would sit back and watch him ruin Kai for some cruel entertainment...

"Well...for your sake I really hope it stays that way." Ray said shortly, deciding to leave the conversation there diplomatically.

He was finally making his own strides with Kai. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause a drift.

Over Brooklyn of all people.

He cleared his throat.

"So. You have the whole afternoon off?"

Kai shrugged.

"Boris said we would practice again come evening. So I guess I shouldn't get too comfortable."

Ray smiled.

"Well...with any luck you'll come to bed tonight with news of success..."

That wasn't the case.

And Boris was annoyed.

He went to bed with a bruised spirit, feeling worthless. His words had been cruel.

The next few days it rained. He was forced to work inside the big top.

No matter how hard he tried, the coals remained dying until they were out completely.

And no matter what Brooklyn said on the occasions he was present, it failed to dampen Boris' temper.

Kai came home to his tent with a bruised arm and a reddened, glowing cheek.

By the Thursday of that week, the rain had cleared, but Boris had insisted they stayed inside the big top.

He had to learn to do it here. This would be where he would perform.

If he ever showed any results, that was...

He sat bored, draped on the step of the small stage by the velvet curtain as he watched the same repetitive site of the boy waving his hands over the dimming coals.

He swallowed down his anger, growing tired of it all over again when his eyes took a closer look at the coals.

The boy stood still, holding his hands also still over them. As if he were warming his hands.

The only problem with that imagery was, there was no flame to warm him.

Or wasn't there...?

He sat himself up from his lazy posture on the chair to lean forward and watch closer.

They grey and black coals had a film of ember. But he could have sworn they grew brighter.

After what felt like forever, there was a small flicker, a quaint little flame wakened from the coals and swayed.

Boris held his breath and slowly, like the flame, his jaw fell open.

The petite, swaying flame stretched upwards. Like a shoot of a delicate flower, slowly climbing up towards the sun.

The brightening yellow and orange glowing strip meandered. It was unlike any flame he had ever seen.

Fire was wild and blazing. This was slim and quiet. Elegant almost.

It snaked every further until it tickled the palms of his small hands, latching on and detaching itself from the coals.

Boris' face hung as the boy turned, presenting his cupped hands holding the gently, glowing flame.

The gormless look turned in to a yellow toothed grin.

"Outstanding..."

Kai stayed where he was, almost trembling and wondering as ever how he managed to do it...

The spine chilling, malicious sounding chuckle brought his attention back to the Ring Master.

"Out_standing_!" he boomed, rising to his feet and making Kai freeze despite the hot flame in his hands.

"Let's see what else we can do, hm? Can you try and make it larger? Or make it move?"

It turned out, not only could he make it grow larger.

He made it float...

That night, he slept with a full belly. Bruise free.

Boris had been the happiest he'd ever seen him.

He never dreamed that Boris being pleased with him could backfire on him.

But he was roughly woken by a strong hand shaking him.

"Wake up, boy!" a gruff and excited voice tried to rouse.

His eyes snapped open, startled and scared as his eyes tried to register who or what it was while being shaken.

Lilac eyes bore down on him, which made him wake up in an instant.

"Yes Boris?!"

The Ring Master stood, towering over him.

"Come! Now! You are needed." his jovial voice instructed.

As he crawled out of his bed, Ray too sat up rubbing his eyes wondering what on earth was going on.

He watched Kai trot after Boris before sitting up to nudge Driger awake.

This wasn't usual...

Shivering through the cold and misty early morning, the boy followed him as his broad strides steamed on down the familiar path to the kitchen, where Marta was waiting looking unimpressed.

As they approached, it became apparent her disdain was for Boris.

"Young Kai..." Boris smiled he stopped and turned, "Marta cannot seem to get the fire going. Be a good lad and help her get it going, just like you did yesterday..."

Kai tensed. This wasn't usual...

And Marta and Mariam were watching as well...

Boris reached in to his jacket pocket, pulling out a carton of cigarettes and matches.

He popped one from the pack and placed it roughly in his dry mouth while he fumbled with the matches, striking it to light it.

He lifted it to his mouth, lighting his cigarette before he held out the burning match.

"Here..."

Kai looked at it nervously.

He knew what Boris wanted from him. To make it float over to the pit..

He had no idea how...Just like every other time.

All he could do was try...like every other time.

He timidly reached his hand over the small flame, begging it to move. Do anything be ordinary...

Boris watched, puffing a small jet of smoke out the side of his mouth.

The small hand strained as it hovered over it.

_Please..._

_Do something..._

_Anything..._

He willed and begged. Like a mantra in his head.

_Please...something...anything._

With a sharp hissing noise, Boris let out a pained yelp as his hand flew back, waving as the completely blackened match dropped to the floor.

He cursed as he looked over his burned fingers, raising his hurt and angry eyes to the boy.

The smile was gone.

The silence was as bracing cold as the morning.

But they all, Kai, Marta and Mariam, sensed the change in the wind.

Boris' face twisted in to rage.

"I have had _enough of this_!" he roared as he reeled his hand, striking the boy hard enough across the face to knock him off balance.

Marta jolted.

"Boris!"

He didn't care.

He marched closer, kicking him in the side with his booted foot and raising his fist yet again while the child cowered.

"_Months_!" he roared at him furiously, "Months and you've given me _nothing_!"

As the fist made contact and the yelp reached her ears, Marta ran forward.

"Boris _stop_! He is a _child_!"

He turned his rabid eyes to her.

"Silence woman! Know your place!" he growled violently.

She went silent.

She'd been here long enough to know when to pick her battles. The look on his face told her this was one to step away from.

There was the slightest breather until a small whimper came from the floor, drawing his attention back to the runt.

His lip snarled as he lifted his fist again.

"...He will be useless if he is injured and put out of action..." her small voice tried to reason.

"He is useless either way!"

"He needs time..."

"I have given _ample_!"

"And he has given signs...he can do what they said he can do. We just don't know how he can do it at will."

Boris continued to growl, blood coursing with rage and frustration as he threw a nasty look him.

"Get up!" he bit, "I expect you to report for your duties as usual..."

He turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving Marta's heart pounding in her throat and waiting for him to be out of sight.

"...Come..." she said softly but firmly to the slowly rising boy on the floor, turning to go back in to her kitchen.

"Mariam. A cloth and some salt water." she barked.

As Kai finally hobbled in to the kitchen, Marta shoved him on to a stool and quietly went to work tending his bloodied lip.

She kept silent.

Unless she had suggestions for him to learn control of his gift, she had nothing of value to say.

"There. You will feel that for a while. But you'll be fine..." she told him as she dropped the cloth in the bowl and carried it off, closing the door behind her.

He was left sat, shaken by the attack.

Green eyes and deep blue hair made their way over, pretending not to enjoy it all.

"...This won't get any better you know..."

Kai lifted his watering eyes to her, motivating him even more not to cry.

"What do you mean?" his shaky voice asked.

"I mean...its over." she told him with fake sadness in her voice, "Boris knows about people like us. He's spent his life around us with gifts, quirks. He can spot them and he knows a dud when he sees one..."

Kai's brows frowned, trying to make sense of it.

Who was she calling a dud?

"I've seen it before, you know...a so-called gifted that couldn't harness it. Boris tried and tried, but ultimately...womp wooommmpp..."

Kai's frown deepened.

"Who? When?"

"Tsch, you wouldn't know them, would you? But it was a young man. One that could be in one room one moment and suddenly transport himself to another in the blink of an eye. Move himself without moving..."

Kai's eyes widened.

Such a thing existed?!

"Amazing..."

"Yes. It would have been. But. No matter what they tried, it seemed it only happened randomly. He had no control over it..."

Kai felt his blood run cold.

Why was he not here any more?

Why did he get the sense something bad had happened to him?

"So...what happened to him?" he asked impatiently as she moved ever closer to him.

She answered him with silence.

His face grew impatient.

"What happened to him!?" he demanded.

She laughed at his assertion. And left his curiosity wanting.

"Stay here..." she threw out of the blew as she ran off and out the door, leaving him in the eerily quiet kitchen.

She returned, ensuring the door was properly closed as she stalked over to him again.

"Listen. I cannot repeat what happened to him. But what I can tell you is, your life will only get much worse and much harder for the remainder of the time you have one if you stay here...Boris knows you are a dud. To him, you're now just a leech on resources. An expensive dish washer that he needs to feed, shelter and keep...and if you haven't noticed, there aint any of those round here..."

Kai's eyes widened at the implication.

"But...But Brooklyn! His vision said I would do it!" he protested.

He didn't want to be here...

But he didn't want to die either!

Mariam sighed.

"Oh, Kai...You poor, sweet, idiotic boy..."

Kai stared at her with big, worried eyes.

"...Brooklyn is a trouble maker. He always was, but more so since his _visions _started. He sees the future...anyone who knows he is genuine like we all do finds it hard not to believe the words that come out of his mouth and he knows that. Which means, he doesn't _always_ tell the truth..."

Kai shook his head.

"But why would he do that!?" he protested.

Mariam's eyes narrowed.

"Because he's _bored_..." she said flatly.

Kai looked away from her.

Brooklyn wasn't lying...

He had seen him controlling the flames in his vision...

But at the same time, Ray's warnings echoed in his head and made his stomach and heart sink.

Mariam rolled her eyes, having had enough of the conversation.

"Look..." she snapped as she rummaged in her apron, pulling out a small leather wallet, "Here is the money I have earned in tips that I've been allowed to keep from my performances. I've been keeping it aside. It isn't much, but it will get you on a train. Get you away from here."

Kai stared at it, shocked at the offer.

"Are you saying you think I should-"

"Leave. Yes. And soon. Unless you're not fond of your limbs..." she said harshly as she threw the wallet at him. "And if I were you, go late at night. I mean late. When the circus is well and truly asleep. If you follow the path the delivery carts go, you can be in town by sunrise...if you don't dawdle."

She got annoyed as the little twerp stared idiotically at the wallet.

"Stay at your own risk...that's all I'm saying." she cemented as she grabbed up a towel and left to go about her work, leaving him alone.

Kai slid the wallet in to his pocket, hobbling his way back to the tent where Ray was waiting with questions about the swollen face and early morning visit from Boris.

He got no answers.

He waited patiently but uncomfortably for Ray to leave for his morning chores, scrambling for a good place to hide the wallet.

He sat on his bed, looking at the hiding place like it might burst in to flames and give him away.

...He had a lot of thinking to do.

He couldn't go through with it, could he?

As the day went on, his mind went round in circles trying to come up with a plan that had a good, safe outcome. But none came.

Every time Boris came in to sight, he flinched, feeling a cold shudder go down his spine.

That wasn't unusual. But the intensity of it was.

He would die here...

He could sit and die. Or he could run and maybe live.

He had some money...a ticket to get back to St. Petersburg.

No! That would be the first place they'd look if Boris wanted to come after him for whatever reason...

Moscow...

He could go back to Moscow! Find his Grandpa and have him send someone to get his papa!

They'd all be home again and this whole wretched chapter would become a horrible memory.

But it would be all right. They would all be together again. He'd start his schooling again and make Grandpa happy. Papa would have learned his lesson not to annoy Grandpa and work really hard at the factory.

Everything would be perfect again...

As he lost himself in the fantasy of his past, he came to a decision.

It was a no brainer really...after he thought of them.

He just hoped he could find the courage to do it.

That night, he lay on his bed feeling an odd and unexpected bittersweet feeling as well as the sickening nerves as he waited for Ray to come back from his performance.

He'd been kind to him. Even if the start was rocky.

He'd miss him...

Finally the fabric was pulled back and a tired but happy face wandered in alongside the big cat.

"Hey!"

"Hey...welcome back. Good show?"

"Always..." he giggled, flopping on his bed.

"Good...good..."

Ray rolled his head over to him and frowned.

"You all right?"

Kai forced himself to nod.

"Mmhmm..."

Ray mirrored his nodding, going back closing his eyes and waiting for himself to doze off.

"...Ray?"

"Hn?"

There was a decent pause.

"...You're a good friend."

His amber eyes opened and looked to him in surprise.

Where had that come from?

He really was weird...

"Oh? I am? ...Well, thank you? You're not so bad yourself..."

He shifted himself to get comfortable again, tiny smile tugging at his lips.

Wherever that had sprung from, he was glad it did.

Felt nice...

Eventually once they'd got settled down to bed, Ray turned out his lamp and passed out quickly like he always did while Kai purposefully only dimmed his.

He waited...fighting the urge to sleep that his young body was giving him while at the same time finding himself jittery.

He had to do it...

Just wait a little longer...like his papa had the night he ran.

If his papa could do it, so could he...

He waited until the night air was still and black, deeming it late enough judging by how much his eyes stung.

He forced himself out of bed, quietly as he could and rummaged around for his pocket watch.

He needed that...

He couldn't find a bag during the day, but he had found a table cloth that he'd snuck out of the kitchen. Figured he could wrap his few belongings up in it and quickly packed it up while Ray was out.

Every shuffle of fabric, every slight sound made him jump and sent his heart racing.

He needed to just hurry up and go.

Picking himself up on to his feet, he put the bundle over his shoulder and began to tiptoe out.

"Where are you going?"

Kai leapt out his skin, heart pounding through his ribcage.

"Nowhere!" he hissed in a whisper, refusing to turn and look at him, "Go back to sleep!"

He heard the blanket rustle.

"...I don't think so. Answer me, Kai! Where are you going?" he asked more firmly.

"_...He's going to run..."_ Driger interjected.

"Kai!" Ray snapped in panic.

Not again...Boris would have his head.

As Driger's hunter instincts had predicted, Kai's body braced to run.

Driger's pupils shrank, paws moving and pouncing before the boy had made so much as three strides, knocking the boy on to the ground.

Kai's small body flailed, turning itself around on to its back as the large cat towered over him with his face above his.

He saw the panic in the boy's eyes and felt sad.

...He wanted them to be friends. But this had to stop.

Not only for his sake, but it would likely wind up in Ray suffering as a backlash.

He didn't want to resort to it, but if it scared some sense in to him...

He growled, baring his large fangs and snarling as ferociously as he could.

The panic turned to terror.

And the lamp that had ever so dimly lit the room quickly burned brighter.

"Get him off me..." his shaky voice begged quietly as he trembled.

Ray was out of bed and crouching beside him.

"Promise not to run?"

Kai's eyes stayed fixed on the snarling mouth right above him and stayed quiet.

"It isn't worth it, Kai...He won't let you leave..."

Kai's heart beat was like a drum in his ears.

So much so he didn't hear a word he said.

Desperation in him flared.

He had to get out...he wanted to go home.

He wanted this horrible _beast off of him_!

His small body flailed and struggled to wriggle out from under the huge cat.

Driger quickly let out a small roar of warning and placed a large paw forward on to his shoulder to keep him pinned.

As soon as the hint of claw touched him and the beastly sound hit his ears, the terror soared.

The lamp burst, the sound of glass shattering shrill and sharp as flames jut out having broken out of their binds, flailing as Kai had and latching on to the back wall of the tent.

Three heads snapped up and around stupefied and feeling their stomachs turn to ice despite the heat as they watch their home slowly come alight.

"K-Kai! What did you do?!" Rei yelped as he scrambled up, dashing to get his pillow to beat it with.

Driger backed off and pawed skittishly, snarling at it in fright.

Kai sat upright, though felt paralysed as he stared in the flames.

He had a chance...

Swiping up the bundle of cloth, he threw his hand out and clasped Ray's wrist.

He smacked the pillow out of his hand ran, checking to make sure Driger followed.

"Call for help..." Kai panted as soon as they were all out, letting go and bolting.

Ray stood in shock for a split second, seeing him taking off, while Driger's voice roared.

...Right!

"HELP! FIRE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, while at the same time taking off after Kai.

He had to stop him, but at the same time he couldn't exactly leave the small but growing fire unattended to.

He opened his mouth and hollered again while his feet hit the floor.

How could he do this without drawing attention to the fact he was running away?!

Lights started to come on, glowing through the fabric of the other tents as the camp woke up.

Ray had almost caught up to him, not hard considering he was faster and more agile.

"Oi!" A loud, slurred voice yelled as an entrance way threw open, a large body charging out and grabbing the tykes making the noise.

"The hell are you doing making all this racket this time of night?!" he yelled, one of which struggled hard.

He let go of the still one instantly, grabbing the other with both hands.

He yelled at them again, eyes adjusting to the dark and stopping as he noticed who he had captured the sack slung over his back.

"FIRE!" another distraught voice hollered, making the other snap his head back and forth, not sure which to deal with.

Kai continued to struggle as the stagehand kept him held while he looked on, watching people scramble with water to put out the slowly burning side of the tent.

He continued to wriggle and cry to be let go as they all ran out their tents to see the commotion.

But the moment he saw the red coat, he stopped fighting...

* * *

"You could have brought down the entire circus with your little stunt..." Boris' gravelly and angry voice spat at him as he paced back and forth in his office.

Bo stood in the corner, feeling his own beads of sweat forming as he kept his hands on Ray's shoulders.

He had no idea what Boris would do here.

"L-luckily the fire was doused before any real damage happened...just that one side..." he interjected, probably pointlessly, to try and soften the blow. For the fire at least...

Though the question did present itself.

How exactly did the fire stay so small and contained? By any logic the whole place should have gone up completely in minutes.

Boris shot a look at him.

"I don't_ care_ if it was put out! My property is damaged! It _could_ have been disasterous!"

Kai didn't dare look up.

Boris noticed.

He stomped a few steps towards him.

"This is how you continue to repay me?! For taking you in instead of leaving you out on the streets to die like a stray dog?! Is that what you would have preferred!?"

Kai's eyes continued to drill in to the floor.

In all honesty, he would rather have stayed on the streets.

At least he'd be with his papa...maybe he'd see sense and get them home some how...

Boris wasn't pleased by his lack of response.

He locked eyes on him, stomping over and grabbing his hair. With a sharp yank he pulled his small head back.

"_Answer me_!" he bellowed furiously.

"_I want to go back to my papa!_" Kai screamed back just as powerfully.

He didn't care if it angered him. He was already livid.

Boris stared back, releasing his rough grip on his hair as he cracked his neck and straightened his red jacket.

"Ah yes...your _papa_..." his icy voice slipped out cruelly as he slicked back his purple hair.

Kai's body tingled with adrenaline, letting shaky breaths come in and out of his nose.

Boris' feet stepped slowly and calmly across the floor to his small, makeshift desk.

He tinkered in the drawer, walking back just as slowly with a different aura round him.

He stopped just in front of Kai again, lazily tossing a newspaper on to the boy's lap.

"I understand you can read?"

Kai dared lift his eyes to him and nodded.

Boris' brow lifted.

"Clever boy..." he said with a hint of bitter sarcasm, "Page 17."

Kai's heart slowed. The ominous sense kicking in as his small hands fumbled with the paper.

His eyes looked for the page, opening it up which took the whole width of his arm span, folding it over so he could hold it easier.

His eyes scanned the busy page, different articles taking up sections of it.

When suddenly, he saw it.

His heart stopped.

_Man found dead in Moyka River identified as son of Muscovite tycoon..._

He read on, words too large for his understanding and yet they brought his entire world to his knees.

The story was clear...

Their family name was clear...

Crystal clear...

"Your _papa_ is dead."

Kai's large, tear filled eyes slowly lifted to his tormentor. The blunt and simple sentence cutting deeper than any knife just by uttering it out loud.

Unfortunately for his shattered heart, Boris wasn't done.

"Tsk tsk tsk, looks like he upset the wrong person...runs in the family, it seems."

He stalked his way closer towards him.

"So _you_ are the grandson of Lord Voltaire..." he chuckled out in almost an impressed tone, "That name spans the whole of Russia..."

Kai tried to swallow the mighty lump in his throat, both numb and in agony, hardly able to comprehend the words as the news still struggled to process.

"It turns out that name is something of a hot topic right now." Boris continued, cruel smirk curling at his lips, "They say he vanished. Not long after they found your dear father. The estate empty. No trace. Perhaps the shame of his son and heir dying a vagrant, floating in a river too much to bare? Or perhaps the people your father crossed had people in high places?" he speculated.

Kai shook.

Boris theatrically turned up his palms and shrugged, kneeling down in front of him.

"What happened is neither here nor there...what we learn from this information..." his voice rumbled out as he pulled the paper away from him, forcing him to look him in the eyes, "Is that _we_ are all you have now..."

Kai's body prickled with ice cold needles.

"You are no longer the grandson of a Lord. Heir to an empire. You belong to _me_." he bit before reaching up and gently patting his pale cheek.

"And to think...a boy born in to such social standing with a _gift _would find his way to me. Now if that isn't destiny, part of God's plan, I don't know what is. Do you?"

Kai slowly and weakly shook his head. Not in agreement.

He just didn't know what else to do.

Boris' hand suddenly gripped hold of his face.

"So heed my words, boy." he hissed, "You are at my mercy...you've nowhere to run and no one to turn. I have eyes everywhere. You would be wise to fall in line..."

His powerful eyes bore in to the child, visibly destroyed.

His work was done.

He let go, standing and turning to throw a glance at Bo.

"Get him out my sight. And let them sleep in the mess he made..."

Bo complied, scuttling forward and taking the boy's arm to get him out as quickly as he could, Ray following at his side.

As he pulled him along, his feet wobbling and face waiting to break, he tried to think of words of comfort.

But he couldn't find the right ones.

What could he say to ease any of that?

That it would all be all right?

As they reached their charred but still standing tent, Bo kneeled down in front of him, gently patting his shoulders.

"...I only met with your father the once." he said carefully after a few moments of holding his devastated gaze.

"I knew nothing of the man. But in our brief meeting, the one thing that became clear was that he loved you and wanted to spare you the life you were living."

Not one muscle in the boy's face moved, but in his eyes he saw everything so rawly.

It was too much to bare.

His hand came to his unique hair and stroked it gently.

"I pray he's at peace...and should you need anything lad, you know where I am."

There was no more he could offer him.

Nor could he stand the images flooding back of himself ripping the two of them apart.

He forced himself to stand.

"Straight to bed boys..." he told them both before gently and sympathetically patting Kai's head again, taking his leave quickly.

How he hated this place at times...

That man never ceased to surprise him with how low he would go.

Ray was left shifting his feet.

That had been awful...

The whole night had been.

He reached out to take his arm as Bo had, only to get it snatched away from his fingertips as the other vanished through the fabric.

He hung his head, waiting a moment before following.

Kai was curled up on the bed, ignoring the black char and holes of the material around him. Pocket watch in hand.

He clicked the latch that sprung the intricately patterned cover open.

Now the faces held on the other side of the cover were both ghosts.

He stared at his father. Cleanly shaven in his best attire beside his mother.

He was dead...

He would never, ever see him again.

His eyes welled up even more, pain in places he'd never felt.

His crimson eyes drifted the short distance to the face of the clock, staring a moment before his brow furrowed harder.

Why wasn't the thin hand moving...?

He brought it up to his ear.

The usual ticking silent.

He looked again.

The time showed ten after five...

It was late, but not that late.

His lip quivered. Eyes filling harder.

The watch, handed down through his family for generations had stopped.

Just as the time of his family ceased.

Tears finally spilled.

Hiwatari men didn't cry...

But didn't matter any more. Because he was no longer a Hiwatari.

He was alone...

Ray's ears perked as he heard a strangled sob cut through the silent tent, turning his head on his pillow riddled with sadness and guilt.

Though it was dark, he could see him clearly. Back turned as usual.

Shoulders shaking...

He slipped out his bed, rubbing his hands together awkwardly, pointed ears lowering a little as he stepped closer.

He bit the bullet, unable to stop himself as another heartbroken sob filled the room.

He climbed on his bed, lowering himself behind him as he curled in to his back.

An elbow flew out to push him away.

"_Leave_ me!" the hoarse and distraught voice yelled.

Ray ignored him, curling back in to him again.

With a roll, flooded red eyes appeared, wounded and angry.

"I said _go away_!" he yelled angrily as his hands shoved him.

Ray rolled back with the push.

It wasn't enough to make him do as he was asked.

He took his chances, grabbing him and pulling him in to him.

"I'm so sorry..."

He gripped harder as Kai tried to struggle out his hold.

"I'm so sorry about your papa...I'm sorry we stopped you. I'm sorry you're stuck here." he fired out while he still had a hold on him.

The wriggling weakened.

"I know its hard, but he's right. Even if you ran there would have been nowhere for you to run to. We're all you have now..."

The wriggling got weaker still, but the agonised tears grew stronger.

Ray held him tighter.

"I cried too when I came here...if I didn't have Bo, I don't know what I would have done."

He'd shed a lot of tears when he arrived. Confused and scared. Couldn't understand anyone. Everything was alien.

Boris...

Bo held him like this. Made him feel comforted.

Maybe it would work for him too.

"You belong to the circus now." he told him truthfully, "But so do I. So that means we have each other, right?"

Kai looked up, whites of his eyes red as he struggled to catch his breath from crying.

"I know I'm not your papa, but...I'm somebody?" he offered, big eyes close up, "You're not alone, Kai..."

He saw his bottom lip tremble again. Shoulders going back to shaking before he succumbed to it, gripping Ray's shirt as he buried his face in it.

Ray curled in to him, slotting in to him in the most comfortable way he could as he rubbed his back, letting the front of his shirt become soaked.

* * *

End of Chapter 8!

Really hope you enjoyed it, been waiting for this chapter for the longest time.

Would love to know what you thought as always!

Really REALLY hope it doesn't take so long to have the next one for you! But until then, take care and stay safe from the shitty virus!

Roy xxxx


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